Silent Violin
by Courtroom Jester
Summary: As Dib and Gaz both struggle to complete high school, they find that they have many more issues to deal with than just that, most revolving around two little Irkens. To think, it all started at a school concert. ZaGf, ZaDr and GaTr
1. Late Start

**Title: **Silent Violin

**Genre: **General, Romance (_ugh, don't you just hate that word? Sounds so cheesy..._)

**Pairings: **eventually, ZaDr and GaTr (kind of one-sided)

**Warnings: **For now, just keep in mind that Dib has a pottymouth. c:

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned Dib and Zim, but I don't.

_Hopefully this story will be unique in some way! xD Enjoy!_

* * *

Rain pattering against the roof painfully reminded the boy that he was running late. He was a blur, rushing through the house in attempt to find his cell phone so he could call and explain, but it was a hopeless attempt. There wasn't any time to horse around. Desperately, his next plan was to use the home phone.

As he picked up the dial, he was met with a heart-sinking beep that declared the worst. The line was out. Cussing and throwing the phone to the floor, he ran to his room to finish getting ready. Perhaps he could still make it on time.

His hopes were again crushed as he glanced at his wristwatch. Eight o' clock, and he was meant to be there in fifteen minutes. He picked up a spare towel lying on his bedroom floor, not caring if it was dirty or not, and frantically started drying off his hair as he waited to hear the dryer stop in the other room.

A thumping from out of his dreary room made him jump, and his first thought was that there was something caught in the dryer. He sprinted out, deciding that this was probably on his top-ten list of worst days in his life, when he realized that someone was just knocking on the door.

Looking through the peep-hole, he saw nothing, so he gingerly unlocked and opened the door before peeking his head out.

Standing on his porch was a four-foot-tall, soaking wet creature. Green skin, a messy black wig and false blue eyes identified Zim right away. Knowing water hurt the Irken's skin, Dib knew that the alien must have covered himself with paste, though it wasn't noticeable. The little Irken still didn't look pleased, however, but he rarely ever did anyway.

The alien didn't mind shoving the door open and making himself welcome, stopping in the doorway to shake himself off like a dog. Dib sighed and closed the door behind him, getting wet all over again in the process. He handed the Irken his towel instead. "Ugh, use this."

Zim blinked before snatching the cloth from the human's outstretched hand. His wig was hanging off his head now, revealing one twitchy antenna- Zim didn't seem to be in a good mood. Dib groaned silently. Any time but tonight! "Look, Zim, I've got no time to mess around, alright? I've got to hurry, I'm going to be so screwed..." He bounced on his feet, trying to find out what the alien wanted fast.

But Zim took his sweet time. First, he glanced Dib up and down curiously. "What happened to your hair, Dibworm?"

No doubt it was a mess. Dib ran his fingers through the messy black tangles. He hadn't even gelled his scythe-shaped lock yet, so there was a sprig of long hair hanging over one of his eyes. He blew it out of his face. "I just got out of the shower."

Zim grinned. "Is that what happened to your clothes?"

Dib's face flushed as he realized he was only wearing boxers, and he angrily snapped, "Yes! I've got to get them once they're done drying!" As if on cue, the dryer in the other room made a long '_ding!_'. Dib rushed out of the living room and around the corner.

For a moment, Zim stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. He took out his contacts and wig and threw them by the door, because there was no need for them here. Then, brain gears finally beginning to turn, he stomped his foot on the ground. "Earth worm! Zim is not here for your pathetic hyooman clothings!" There was no response, and Zim grit his teeth and shook his fists, screaming, "DO NOT IGNORE MIGHTY ZIIIIIM!"

"Oh my God, shut up, Zim!" Dib came from around the corner again, fully dressed; Black pants and a white dress shirt tucked in. His hair was still a mess, though, and he had no shoes on. Instead of paying mind to Zim, he hurried back to his room, passing the alien by completely.

Zim was not happy. With a hiss, four metallic spidery legs sprung out of the PAK on his back and carried him to the human's room, his height now advancing up to the ceiling.

He squeezed himself into Dib's room to find the boy frantically opening and rummaging through his desk cabinets. He gave his maniac laugh and yelled, "FOOL BOY! ZIM IS HERE TO GIVE HIS DESERVING ENEMY A HINT ON HIS NEWEST, EVILEST SCHEME EVER!"

The response he got was a book being thrown at his head, and he avoided it by an inch. Startled, the alien recalled the PAK legs and stood by the door, a frown deepening on his face.

Dib continued his search, finally finding the black tie he'd been looking for and putting it on hastily. Then he begun the search for his shoes, getting down on his knees to pull them out from under the bed. When he finally sat on the bed to put them on, Zim spoke.

"Why did you attack ZIM?"

He sounded so heartbroken that Dib regretted ever reacting at all. One shoe on, he held the other on his lap and sighed. He shot a glare at the alien, but it ended up melting when his own angry amber eyes met Zim's hurt magenta ones. Instead of becoming angry, he gently explained, "I'm late for an important human thing. Why don't you tell me your evil plan while I finish getting ready?"

Zim didn't respond right away, but instead watched the boy finish with his shoes and start brushing through his messy ear-length hair with a comb. At last, he admitted, "Zim... has no plan yet. But it's only a matter of time." His usually loud voice was quieter now, aware that the human was not in the best of moods.

When Dib's hair was finally gelled and brushed through, he headed back to the living room, grimacing as he glanced at his watch. The little Irken followed, similar to how a small child would follow an angry parent. His antennae folded against his head, his eyes followed Dib as the boy put on his coat and picked up a long, black case.

As Dib opened the front door, Zim approached and put back on his disguise, then stared at the case curiously. "What's in there?"

The boy didn't have time for answers, so he just gave Zim a small push out the door. The Irken walked out and waited on the porch. Rain was pouring from the dark sky now. He blinked and turned back to Dib, who was locking up the house. He flicked on his dad's electric fence and quickly walked past Zim and down the sidewalk, turning to go into the garage. Zim gave a small whining noise and tried to keep up, boots squeaking with the water catching inside.

By the time the Irken got in the garage, Dib was already starting up his dad's silver Honda Civic. Zim blinked, not knowing much about human vehicles, but opened the passenger's side door and hopped in front with him. Watching Dib buckle himself in with the seat belt, Zim stared at the one beside himself and followed the example, clicking it in with fascination. He was a bit too short to fit on the chair comfortably, but it was soft anyway.

The car started and Dib drove off with a roar of the engine. Zim's stomach lurched, unused to the odd experience. It felt different than riding in the Voot Cruiser, that and the fact that Zim had never been a passenger in any sort of craft before. His insides flopped uncomfortably as Dib sharply turned a corner.

"Anyway," Dib began, though his eyes never left the road; he looked quite tense. "I've got to make it to this damn concert, I've got a solo and I was suppose to be there... five minutes ago." He switched the stereo to a station so he wouldn't have to watch the time, and soft piano music turned on. Contented with this, he continued down the street.

Stopping at the appropriate sign, he glanced left and right before continuing down the road. They were almost down town now, cars could be heard in the distance. The boy put his foot on the gas pedal when a car suddenly sped in front of him, and he was forced to lurch on the breaks. Furiously, Dib honked the horn and rolled down his window, then shouted out of the car, "HEY! Turn on your lights, bastard!" He grumbled and watched the car vanish in the darkness. "Stupid idiot drivers..."

"D-Dib monkey?"

"Yeah?" Dib turned his head to look at the alien, who he could see was pale even in the dim car headlights from outside. The sudden lurch had really unsettled the Irken's stomach, and it took a moment for Dib to realize what he wanted before his eyes widened and he unlocked the doors. "Oh crap! Outside! My dad would _kill_ me!"

He leaned over and clicked Zim's door open. The alien thankfully ripped off his seat belt and turned outside before promptly vomiting his stomach contents. Which couldn't have been anything but acid, considering Zim didn't eat human food, and Dib had never really seen any Irken food with him.

The human tried his best to ignore the retching sounds, but it was just making him more nervous. He tapped on the steering wheel impatiently, knowing he was going to end up being late. When at last Zim closed the door and leaned back in his seat looking sheepish, the boy began slowly down the road again without a word.

They drove in silence down into the main town, and Dib finally parked in the lot of a large building that Zim recognized as the exact same high school he was forced to attend. Tongue sticking out, Zim's eyes scanned the building with confusion. "School doesn't start at night, stupid hyooman."

"I'm not here for school," Dib responded as he practically jumped out of the car and hurried to get his case from the trunk. Zim, who was getting upset because he still didn't know what was in the rectangular black case, stepped out of the vehicle and tried to get a closer look. But Dib was already trotting off toward the school, and Zim hissed angrily under his breath in Irken and followed.

"Dib-monster!" Zim was having a hard time keeping up, and he had to almost climb up the stairs. Dib opened the doors and was now running through the halls, but Zim stopped at the doorway to catch his breath.

Contemplating is choices, Dib stopped and waited for the little alien to catch up, and then began walking beside him, though he still tried to hurry them along. It didn't help when Zim stopped in his tracks, antennae prickling under the wig. Trying not to snap, Dib urged, "C'mon. What's wrong now?"

"Pah. You're inferior hyooman ears can't detect what I can." Seeing Dib's glare, he answered the question with a smirk. "Well, the mighty Zim hears a very.... odd sound." He shivered. "There are more wormbabies here?"

"Of course," Dib rolled his eyes. He started off again, and Zim followed. "But, just so you know, I can hear it, too. They're in the auditorium."

Oh, so _that_ was where he was being dragged. Zim blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but once at the auditorium doors, Dib swerved around and leaned down to come in eye contact with the Irken.

"Listen, space boy. This is an important day for me. I don't want you to ruin it." He sounded so serious that Zim didn't respond right away. "Just... just go sit in the audience and, I don't know, take a nap or something. Are you listening to me?"

He had raised his hand to point at Zim, but the Irken smacked it away. "Yes, yes, the generous Zim will allow you to attend your filthy hyooman thing."

Knowing he wasn't going to get any better answer than that, Dib turned back around and pushed open the auditorium door with his free hand.

* * *

_I suck at cliffhangers. Anyhow, I'd like to take a moment to explain that my purpose in life is to bring smiles to your faces. So at the end of each chapter, I'll spend some time humoring you with random facts or funny stories, and every chapter I'll have a question for you to answer. Also, please remember to review if you can. I tend to respond to them! ^-^ _

_**Today's Random Facts Are....**_

_. Usually, I RP stories with my friend. This is the first story in a long time I've tried writing on my own, and the first ever story I've ever written where I control Zim. (If anyone ever feels like rp'ing a story, feel free to message me!)_

_. A 'silent violin', for those of you who don't know, is basically another name for an electric violin. They're pretty cool, I personally think._

_. I play violin. o-o Gasp!_

_. Originally writing this chapter, I lost all of it halfway through and had to start over :/ It turned out better, I think, though._

_**Also, today's question of the day! **Answer your own opinion in a review or a message! The question is...  
_

What do you, personally, think or use as Dib and Gaz's last name? _I believe that Professor Membrane's name really is Membrane, as it should be. So, what's their last names? In one of my story ideas with Gaz, I made her last name Sisson__, I believe. It was an... interesting story idea. Anyway... Tell me what you think! I'm looking for a last name!_


	2. Double Surprise

_Thank you, EverlightSilvia, for the first review! 8D I might take your advice in something that has to do with stars. Originality is the key!_

_I had a lot of free time to work on this. o-o And before it is mentioned, I know most people spell it as 'theater', but I was taught to spell it 'theatre'. So... yeah.  
_

_Also, to clear it up; This is NOT a Zim/Gaz romance, but it DOES have some Zim/Gaz friendship which starts in this chapter. Enjoy !_

* * *

Zim stared into the auditorium feeling quite awkward.

The place was full, and in an anxious chatter. But the doors opened and they fell into an eerie silence, all heads turning to the boy and the disguised alien that had just entered. Dib hurried down the aisle and Zim followed, trying to make himself smaller under the many stares of the humans.

Zim slid into the first row, which was empty except for a couple teachers. He glanced over his shoulder and saw three young girls gawking at him, so he hissed threateningly and turned back to watch Dib.

The boy had rushed up the stairs with his case, straightening his tie. A tall woman on stage, dressed in black with a peculiar thin stick in her hand, shook his hand in greeting. He gave her a crooked smile, then stepped up to the microphone.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, I ran a bit late. You know how bad traffic can get when you're in a hurry," he joked. A couple people chuckled, but Zim's brows furrowed impatiently.

Dib smiled and soon was kneeling on the floor, opening his black case. Zim stared greedily, trying to imagine what was so valuable that the Dib-thing would be so careful with. Perhaps some kind of gun? The Irken had seen earth guns in cases such as that one. Perhaps files. Was the Dib going to expose him, here in front of everyone? Zim broke into a sweat, tensing up.

Oh, that cheating, retched human...

But what Dib picked up out of the case first was a long, thin object that reminded Zim of a small cane tied with string. Then, Dib brought out a wider object, not any longer than his arm. Confused, Zim glanced to the teacher beside him, poking her in the arm. "Excuse me, what is that weapon device that the Dib has?"

The young teacher glared at him, but he stared innocently back. She finally whispered, "It's a _violin_. Don't you play an instrument?"

_Instrument... of torture? I've never heard of this 'violin' device._ Zim frowned, but didn't ask again. Instead, he turned back to the stage, where Dib was rubbing some kind of palm-sized orange square against the hairs of the cane object. It looked harmless enough.

After a moment, Dib took some papers out of his case and set them on a stand in front of him. Then he stood up and placed the tip of the so-called 'violin' on his shoulder, resting his chin against it. He brought the cane down on one of the device's strings.

The thing made a sudden loud, squeaky sound.

Zim screamed, jumping up onto his seat. "NO! NO! THE DIB WILL NOT TAKE MY PRECIOUS BLOOD!" He panted heavily until he turned his head to look backwards. Everyone was staring at him. No one else was screaming.

Sheepishly, he sat back down and glanced up at Dib with his false blue eyes. The boy was glaring down at him. "Ehh... Sorry about that," Zim called to no one in particular. "I... forgot my medication. CARRY ON!" He waved his hands at Dib before crossing them and sinking back into his seat uncomfortably.

Dib didn't respond, but instead brought the cane down again. This time, Zim forced himself not to move as the odd sounds reached the antennae under his wig. They were weird sounds, but they didn't hurt. He sat up a little straighter, watching the boy as he held the violin on his chin and he tuned with the noises. Eventually, Dib seemed pleased and held the instrument down, then shuffled the papers on his stand.

He smiled, nervous, and put his violin in place again before sliding the cane back across the instrument's strings. This time, it sounded different. Better. It was music, Zim realized.

There was such thing as music on Irk, but it didn't sound the same as this. Zim always thought earth music was weird and hard to listen to. But Dib was good at whatever he was doing. He seemed so concentrated that Zim didn't know he was staring at his quick fingers until the teacher beside him broke his concentration.

"Partita No. 3, in E major!" She sounded delighted, though her voice remained hushed. "Gavotte! He's such a talented boy, I always knew he'd do great things!"

Zim blinked. Yes, this violin of Dib's did sound quite nice. Irkens had attractions to pretty noises, like bells and chimes. They raised his curiosity and made him feel so calm, like he was in his own little bubble...

Clapping woke him from his trance the second time, and he realized that Dib had finished. Time had flied. The Irken watched the boy do a bow, and he frowned again, his annoyance returning. Sweet Tallest, these humans were loud. He remained seated as everyone else began to leave.

Soon, the auditorium was almost empty. Dib was laughing and shaking hands with the woman that had been on stage, as well as several other adults forming a group around him. Zim recognized Professor Membrane and Gaz as well. He stood away from them, staring blankly.

Gaz broke away from the group, and no one noticed. Except Zim, that is. He saw her wipe an eye on one of her striped arm stockings, and unfortunately, the other amber eye met Zim's lense. Zim just stood dumbly as she marched over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"What do _you_ want?"

Gaz was only five-foot-four, and pretty short for a human, but she still could tower over the Irken. Now, she almost lifted the disguised alien off the floor to hiss in his face. Zim smelled the curious, overpowering fragrance of mint in her breath, mixed with something else he couldn't place.

Fake eyes narrowing, he snapped back, "None of your business, pathetic Gaz-baby." Her dark violet hair was leaning into his face, and he pulled out of her grip, digging his claws into her hand. She growled and let him go.

Keeping his guard up, the Irken eyed her suspiciously. "Why are you not celebrating with your sibling?"

She stared down and shrugged halfheartedly. Then she stared over at Dib, emotionless eyes filling with something like... envy? Zim looked where she was. Dib seemed to be enjoying himself. He didn't get what the big deal was. It was just music, wasn't it?

"It's just music," he repeated out loud.

Gaz didn't respond for a moment, but then reached into a pocket in her black dress and pulled out two little slips of paper. She handed one to a puzzled Zim. "What..."

"Night Things III. It's playing tonight." She shoved one of the tickets into his open three-fingered hand and clenched the other in her fist. "I was going to go with _him_, but Dr. Wallace is going to take him and Dad out to some stupid restaurant." Zim saw who she was talking about- the woman who had been on stage. She was chatting to Professor Membrane, who threw back his head and bellowed a laugh.

Gaz looked disgusted. "Of course Dad wouldn't turn her down. He's been drooling over her since Dib joined her orchestra class in sixth grade."

"So..." Zim twirled the ticket in his claws, raising an eyebrow. "You're so desperate for company, you're inviting the amazing Zim to a stupid hyooman show?"

"Pretty much."

Zim didn't know if he could trust the girl or not, but when he saw the pure jealousy in her eyes as she watched her brother getting praised, he couldn't back down. "Hmph. Fine. Zim will humor you." He hesitated, then continued, "But only because he wants to poke fun at stupid earthling minds."

The corner of Gaz's mouth twitched, and for a moment, Zim almost thought she would smile. But instead, she just gave the crowd one final loathing glance and turned on her heels to walk out the side door. Zim followed. He was sure that the Dib wouldn't mind.

--

Zim didn't know Gaz very well. But he did know that she was pretty much a loner and didn't have real 'friends' at school. She wasn't like the other loud, gossiping, annoying human females. So he was surprised when she started chatting right away, as soon as they were a block from the school.

"So the idiot went up to Ms. Sable and started mouthing off, right in the middle of fifth period. She was pissed. But I can't blame the guy, she's horrid. I'm glad I don't have her this year. Who do you have for Science?" She turned to Zim, who had been listening to the girl's rant for a couple minutes now. He looked up at her, startled, but recovered quickly.

"Mr. Turner," Zim responded, quite proudly. The one class he was actually good in, and in the advanced class, too.

"Nice," Gaz commented, actually sounding impressed. They turned a corner. "The only class I'm any good in at all is English," she admitted, rather bitterly.

"Really?" Zim couldn't keep the curiosity out of his voice. There was just so much he didn't know. Irkens, naturally curious creatures, had a hard time keeping their questions to themselves. "Why's that?"

His first response was a shrug. Then, "Well, I don't know. I-"

She was cut off mid-sentence when a black car sped by, engine roaring. It was driving so close to the curb that water on the side of the street left by the earlier shower splashed all over the Irken and the girl. Soaking wet, Zim glared in shock at the vehicle that had gotten him wet.

Gaz wasn't as polite. Pushing her slopping hair out of her face, she clenched her fists at her side and screamed, "DOUCHEBAGS!"

The car stopped further down on the side of the road.

Zim suddenly remembered the car that had cut Dib off earlier. This was _them_! He saw the front two doors open along with one of the back ones, and could see three teenage boys getting out.

"...Gaz-human," Zim began. "I don't reckon that they are coming to apologize?"

"I don't think so," Gaz agreed, and she grabbed Zim's shoulder. "Let's go, the theatre isn't that far."

The two began quickly walking off, Zim fighting the urge to look back as one of the males called something slurred and inaudible. _They're drunk,_ Zim immediately concluded. He knew that much. And from what else he knew, they could mean bad news.

The move theatre on the third block down, the two broke into a run, leaving the drunken males behind. They didn't stop until they were inside the lobby, panting and trying to catch their breath.

Gaz looked a little pale, so Zim glanced out the window and declared, "I don't think they followed. You're safe, Gaz-baby."

She nodded and inhaled deeply before stretching and taking the ticket back out of her pocket. Zim got his from his PAK and followed her to the snack stand. The Irken had to admit, the snacks on earth weren't as good as Irk's, but they still made his mouth water. The ones he could handle, anyway. He glanced hungrily around until he hit a brick wall. "Ugh. Zim has no monies."

Gaz stared at him, and then turned to the young man at the counter. "I don't want anything... what do you want?"

"Nothing," Zim replied, crossing his arms. He wasn't about to let this earth monkey buy him sweets with her money! Even if she was being pretty decent, and he hadn't had a snack for three days, and...

"Hey, space moron! Just pick something!" Gaz snapped. The cashier dude looked surprised and a little frightened.

"Zim will have anything."

"Give him like... Cookie dough bites or something. And get me a medium soda."

She pulled some spare change from her pocket and took her drink. Zim got his feebly and followed her into the theatre. The movie appeared to already have started; He knew because there was already a woman screaming on the screen.

Gaz slid into a seat in the last row, and Zim sat himself beside her. Curiously, he opened the box and poked at one of the sphere-shaped treats. He blinked and popped one into his mouth, chewing gingerly. It tasted pretty good, and it appealed to his sweet tooth. He got another.

"Ugh. I knew this movie would be stupid." She chewed on her straw, focusing on the screen. Zim followed her gaze, and the first thing he saw was a giant UFO. He snorted. No wonder Gaz was going to take her brother to this particular movie.

The horribly cheesy plot went on. The woman, blonde with an incredibly large chest, was abducted by some aliens who preformed tests on her. Then she was sent back down to earth and currently, the aliens were controlling her mind. The acting was horrible, even the Irken agreed.

During some sort of scene where the town was panicking, Zim's PAK buzzed. He stared around the theatre to make sure no one was looking before bringing one of the robotic spidery limbs out of his back. Gaz glanced over. "What's up?"

"I'm... not sure." The limb had a screen, which was showing a radar. A small purple dot was beeping quietly toward the center of the map. He frowned.

"How can you not be sure?" She watched the little dot. It was getting bigger.

"It seems to be some sort of signal," he explained. "Hmm. Odd. The only thing I've ever seen make this kind of signal would be my Cruiser and GIR. GIR is at home, and his signal is blue," he added hastily, voice touched with the slightest bit of concern.

"Maybe it's screwed up?" Gaz added hopefully. The dot was big now, taking up half the radar. She tried to focus back on the movie. A couple in a car, and an alien ship was coming toward them slowly. Of course they didn't move. They just sat there and screamed like idiots. Gaz shook her head. "Morons. Would you just sit there?"

"I'd blow them up," Zim responded thoughtfully. He, too, tried to ignore the large, growing dot on the radar.

In the movie, the massive disk-shaped ship hovered over the screaming couple. The ship's sliding door was opening, light pouring out...

"Holy crap!" Gaz exclaimed. Zim glanced at her questioningly, but saw that she was staring at the radar. The entire screen was being consumed by the dot. In just a couple seconds, the radar wouldn't be visible...

_CRASH!_

The movie screen ripped in half as something crashed through the building, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere. People screamed and jumped up, running out of the theatre for their lives. Zim stared in shock and Gaz jumped up. "What the hell?" She didn't look scared, exactly, but more like a cat that had just been sprayed with a hose.

In the middle of the ruined theatre was a large pile of rubble, lit up by the full moon in the sky above. Zim slid the spider legs out of his PAK and slowly moved his way over chairs and cement. Gaz followed behind him, climbing over collapsed roofing.

Bringing himself down to normal height, he protectively aimed the metallic limbs' lasers at the pile of rock. "...There's something there," he hissed quietly. "My scanner detected it."

Gaz rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed, but also nervous. "_Obviously_, there's something there."

Zim growled and slowly approached the pile. His antenna prickled under his wig. He heard something, like pounding. Glancing back at Gaz, he cleared his throat and picked up a large piece of roofing. With a grunt, he tossed it aside and looked down, surprised to see glass.

The glass showed the inside of a tiny ship, with magenta interior and striped lining. With a jolt, Zim realized that there were a pair of purple eyes staring back at him.

This wasn't a ship. It was an escape pod.

And the pair of frightened, very real eyes that stared back at him belonged to the fellow Irken, Tak.

* * *

_Dun dun dun! Did you see that one coming? Ah well, I bet you did. You're smart people~ I would also like to point out that I know Gaz is incredibly OC. I tried as hard as possible to keep her in-character, but it's difficult, because this is how I've always imagined her. Eh, what are you gonna do...  
_

**_Today's Random Facts!_**

_. __I can rehearse the first half of the Tak episode, and most of the rest O.O Just thought you'd like to know._

_. I'm probably the only Zim fan in the world who isn't a big fan of GIR... *dodges fangirls*_

_. Brilliant ideas for a story will pop into my head in the middle of the night, and I'll forget them by morning D:  
_

_. I love reviews!_

_**Today's Question of the Day:**_

Keef; should he be pitied or feared? _Quite honestly, he creeps me out. My friend brought this up by arguing that he's just 'lonely' or something. They've got medication for that. Anyhow, leave your thoughts in a review or message, and feel free to respond to the last chapter's question as well!  
_


	3. Cops and Mud

_Due to demand from friends and awesome reviewers, I've decided to try and continue this story. I just have been in a state of brain-deadness since a relative of mine passed away. But that's not a good enough excuse to me for keeping you guys waiting forever. :3 So for all you who've stuck around, or maybe those who've just found this story, enjoy this new update and remember to participate in the Question of the Day at the end of the chapter! ^^  
_

* * *

A wave of uncertainty swept across Zim's fake eyes, but Gaz seemed a little more eager to help, which was quite surprising to the Irken. "We've got to get her out of here, Zim. Help me." The girl slid her hands under a piece of roofing over the pod and attempted to lift it with clenched teeth. Finding that this idea really wasn't working, Gaz let go and turned to Zim with a dark expression. "Uh, Earth to moron, help me."

Imitating her voice vulgarly, Zim responded, "_Durr, Irk to idiot._ Have you caught the brain worms? Do you not remember how Tak tried to steal away Zim's glorious planet and destroy us all?" His lower jaw stuck out stubbornly as he glared down at the escape pod. Tak had crawled away from them, her own eyes glaring back at him. Hers, Zim noted, were deathly blank.

"You're so stupid," Gaz sneered. "The police are going to show up eventually, genius. And they may be dumber than dog crap, but I think they'll know an alien in a space ship when they see one. And that will kind of blow your cover, don't you think?"

Zim's eyes narrowed, but the girl had a point. With a rather distasteful sniff, the Irken drew a speaker out of his PAK. "Computer, I need the voot carrier to be delivered to the Earthian movie theatre." He paused before adding, "And also set out something to restrain a likely-hostile Irken."

"Alright, sir," the bored computer's voice spoke back. "Having trouble containing yourself?"

"SILENCE AND DO AS I SAY!" Zim whipped the speaker back in his PAK and crossed his arms. "There. We will bring _her-_" the Irken spit the word venomously. "...Back to my base. I will interrogate and keep her under my control. Then I will contact the Tallest to have someone collect her." His antennae twitched violently under the ebony wig as his false eyes drifted back to the trapped female. She was still pressed as far away from him as possible, lips now pulled back in a feral Irken snarl.

"You're such a charmer," Gaz muttered under her breath. She saw one of Zim's claws flick and she looked up to see a circular floating device lowering itself into the building. Zim gave a contented grunt as the carrier lowered and consumed the pod, the flat disk now a floating sphere. Then it rose again and vanished into the night sky.

"...Wow, that was pretty easy. And to think I was going to try and lift this mess."

"Let's go before the earth authorities get here," Zim decided bitterly. He and Gaz hurried out of the ruined theatre and just as they rounded the corner, sirens blared in the distance. Zim stopped, amused, to watch several cop cars speed by and nearly crash into the building. "...Or, I suppose there's no hurry. Are the protective force always so... unreliable?"

"Oh yeah," Gaz answered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Zim looked like he was going to respond, but merely shrugged and turned back around. "Well. Let's go see what our dear old friend Tak wants."

x.x.x.x.x

'_Man, where's Gaz? Dad's gonna flip!_'

"Any sign of her yet?" The tall man nervously paced across the living room floor. "We have to meet Nancy at the restaurant in an hour! This is my one night to spend off work for the year! Oh, where could your sister have gone?"

Dib's mouth had settled into a line, expression both anxious and frustrated. He wasn't sure if his father was more upset about missing his opportunity with Dr. Wallace or about his daughter who had vanished after the concert. The boy was sitting on the porch, door open to hear his dad's many rants. _"You should watch your little sister,"_ Membrane would advise. "_Why don't you spend more time with your sister?"_ he would advise. Dib's favorite was probably the, "_You should be a better role model."_

'_It's hard to be a role model for someone who punches you in the face whenever you suggest something._'

With a sigh, Dib finally interrupted his father. "Look, dad. Why don't you go? I'm sure Gaz is fine. She's tough, I bet she just went over to a friend's or something." Dib was sure that Membrane didn't know how anti-social his children were. And Dib was right.

"Well," the man hesitated, adjusting his goggles. "...I'm sure Dr. Wallace will understand your absence. Yes, I think it shall go fine. When Gazlene gets home, tell her she's grounded!"

_'Not like you'll be around to make sure it happens,'_ Dib thought, rolling his eyes. But he agreed, "Yeah, dad, alright."

Dib watched as Membrane stepped around him and walked down the sidewalk to the driveway. The boy's amber eyes trailed off to the sky and locked on a twinkling star. Why did he feel like he'd forgotten something important? Everything had went well that night, albeit for Zim interrupting the beginning of his solo...

'_Zim._'

Gaz had vanished after the concert.

So had Zim.

Fear boiling in his stomach, the boy ran past his dad who was starting up the car and shot straight down the block, splashing through puddles that had remained from the downpour. He had to get to Zim's base, and fast.

x.x.x.x.x

"...What're you doing?"

Gaz almost stumbled over Zim, who had paused in front of the fence to his yard. The dead grass and security gnomes looked eerie in the moonlight. The house hadn't changed too much over the years, however Zim had made a couple of improvements; for example, getting an actual door, and removing the cheesy "I LOVE EARTH" flag from his yard.

Gaz's incredibly intelligent response was, "Uh. Coming with you?"

"I don't recall inviting you in." Zim frowned. "Your duty is done. Enjoy your pitiful night elsewhere, Gaz-baby." He waved a gloved hand, as if expecting the girl to actually just leave. But she stared at him with an almost dumbfounded expression.

"Umm, are you like, stupid?" Gaz crossed her arms. "I'm not going anywhere. I was the one who suggested to move Tak so you didn't get caught."

"...Hmm." Zim didn't respond other than a hum in the back of his throat. He hadn't had a human in his house for a while, ever since the Dib had become too busy with his filthy school work to stalk the inexperienced Irken. That was what lead to Zim's ultimate boredom. No new plans the Irken had schemed could make the boy get back into his passion for all paranormal. It was very unnerving for reasons unknown.

Gaz snapped her fingers, waking Zim from his thoughts. "Hey. So, am I going to have to put up a fight or what?"

"...No." Zim walked by her and trudged up to his base, the human close on his heels.

"Good. I don't want to get my knuckles all lined up for nothing."

As Zim opened the door, he turned around and hissed, "Just don't touch anything unless I say so, got it? I'm not in the mood to clean up spilled organs."

Gaz rolled her eyes, but Zim continued to glare and walked in, which made her hesitate. "...Wait, what? Wait! What does that? Hello?"

Zim ignored the girl and headed into the kitchen. "Computer," he addressed to the base, "Is Tak's pod here? With Tak in it?" He added the last part quickly, almost expecting some sort of bad news.

"Yea." The computer's dull voice echoed around the house, making Gaz jump as the door closed behind her. Then, the voice picked up again. "Uhm, sir, it might be of importance for me to mention that there's a human in the base..."

"Yes yes, do not tell me what I already know!" Zim snapped. "She is here for... purposes unknown to me. Just take us down to Tak."

Gaz walked over to step by the Irken, and the floor beneath them slowly began to descend to the lower levels of the base. The girl remembered this vaguely; she'd been here a few times. With just a pinch of paranoia, Gaz made sure not to lean against the walls on accident (Zim's warning lingering in the front of her mind). Zim, who had been watching her, chuckled like he knew what she was thinking. "Don't be dumb, Gaz-human. Just don't touch any of Zim's mighty machinery."

"Noted," Gaz assured him.

They soon stepped out into Zim's main lab. "Follow me closely, human, and like I said, don't touch things." He began a proud Irken march through the large room. Gaz followed slowly and cautiously, edging as far away from the many tables as possible. There were vials and machines and who knows what else. Gaz put her hands in her jacket pocket and gazed ahead.

_CRACK!_

Gaz jumped and Zim snapped his head back. The girl's eyes were wide, heart beating rapidly from being startled like that. But Zim merely glared past her. "For the love of... GIR! Get out of here!"

"Aww, I'ma sorry, Master." Shiny metal glinting in the dim lab light identified GIR, who tumbled out from the shadows, covered in mud. He'd obviously been outside (without his costume, Zim noticed, which increased his frustration further). "Don't be saaaad. I saved-ed you a mud pie..." His luminous blue eyes glittered as the SIR unit noticed Gaz for the first time. His grin widened. "Heeeeey! It's the big head boy's sista!"

He jumped up and charged for Gaz, who tensed.

"GIR!" Zim stomped his foot childishly. "Hault! Sit! OBEY ME!"

Gir clung to Gaz's neck happily, splattering mud over the girl's coat and face. "Ugh! Get off of me! GIR! Bad robot!"

"Ai love da Gizzy!" The SIR unit crawled onto one of Gaz's shoulders and sat contentedly, sucking on a lock of her now-frizzy hair.

Zim flinched back, ready for Gaz to throw the robot against the wall, but she just sort of sighed, wiping off her face with the back of her sleeve. GIR giggled cheerfully.

"Well. That's... that's disgusting, GIR. You are not allowed out in the rain any LONGER." Zim raised his voice at the end, clenching his fist. "Now. Uh. What were we doing?"

"Tak."

"Oh. Right. To the storage chamber!" The Irken continued marching through the lab. Exhaling, Gaz followed, trying to contain her annoyance at the small robot chewing on her hair. She was starting to forget why she wanted to come here in the first place.

* * *

_Wonder what Tak's doing, showing her greasy face back here? :o _

_**Today's Random Facts!**_

_. From the time between this chapter and the last, I've lost this chapter at least five times and was forced to re-write. :c_

_. I've kind of lost my plot notes, which is why it took so extra long._

_. I might have another story idea for IZ I'll think about writing._

_**Today's Question of The Day:**_

Gaz or Tak? _Who do you think is cooler? Who could win in an epic battle? And add why, of course. Give your opinion in a review, or message your thoughts, and feel free to answer the last two questions as well! Have a great day/night/twilight-zone time!**  
**_


	4. Silbing Troubles

_Oh look, another update. I must be really bored, huh? o-o Well, I'm scrambling to put this together like, an hour before I'm leaving on a little vacation and people are nagging at me to hurry, so enjoy and have a great remaining summer!_

* * *

"Zim, I swear, if you've done anything to Gaz..."

Dib was on the Irken's block now, his sprint slowed to a jog. _I always knew that stupid alien was creepy, but creepy enough to kidnap a teenage girl? Well, not _my _sister!_ By the time he was at Zim's fence, the boy was panting and tired. He forced himself to hurry up to Zim's door and start pounding on the door, kind of just throwing himself against it.

"Z-Zim! ZIM! I know you're there! Open this door! OPEN IT! You'd better not hurt Gaz! I'll rip out your squeedily spooch and grind it into cookies and feed them to the Swollen Eyeballs! ZIIIIIIMMMM!"

x-x-x-x

"Uh, attention! I guess."

"Not now," Zim hissed to the air. The base hummed in response as the Irken lead Gaz through the storage area of the base. The girl was surprised of how old everything looked. Broken machinery and crates littered the room, stacking to the ceiling. Zim turned back to see her staring around, and he smirked. "Impressed, Dib-sister? These use to be top-quality Irken machines, no longer useful to me." He snorted. "I've improved most technology on my own. The Tallests are unable to send me any new packages at the moment."

"Why?" Gaz gave the Irken a sideways glance, feeling GIR's sharp metal paws digging into her shoulder absently.

Zim's antennae twitched. "How am I suppose to know?"

"Well," the girl mused, frown twitching at the corners into a cold smirk. "I mean, that is a vague story, don't you think? It kind of sounds like..." She shrugged, making GIR tug on her hair a little. "I don't know. Maybe they're avoiding you? I give lame excuses like that to my brother all the time."

The Irken stopped in his steps and spun around, anger rolling off his skin in waves. Getting close to the human's face, he hissed, "Now, listen here, pitiful female. Zim is one of the Tallest's best soldiers. If you keep sticking your filthy nose in the business of the Irken armada, you'll find yourself soon missing it, along with several other vital bodily parts."

Gaz didn't respond, but met his glare- his being more of a challenging one, and hers being defensive. He snapped around again and took off at a quicker pace. Hesitating a moment, the girl followed, sneering silently. GIR screamed in her ear and sent drool dripping down her neck, and she grit her teeth, fists clenching. _Why would they even install drool in a robot?_

A few seconds later, Zim stopped again, this time with a bitter, "Well, here we are." The escape pod had been placed in an open area of this storage room, and now Zim was approaching the ship gingerly, almost seemingly scared of Tak suddenly launching herself out at him (_which seemed pretty likely, actually_). He pulled a device out of his PAK that seemed to be some sort of touch screen, and he looked down into the pod with interest.

Gaz curiously watched his expression change from cold to almost puzzling, and she couldn't resist stepping closer to take a peek. Tak was there, of course, but Gaz had almost expected to find her yelling and slashing at the pod's hatch. Instead, the Irken girl was huddled as far away from the two outsiders as possible, crouching behind the seat and staring up with dull eyes. It just seemed... off. Gaz turned her head to Zim, her eyes not straying from the other female. "...What's wrong with her? I mean, hiding from _you? _That's wimpy, even from like, Dib's standards."

"Hmm," was all Zim responded, magenta eyes glancing from the Irken in the pod to the screen of his monitor. "I'm getting weird signals from her PAK. I may need to run a full scan." He typed something across the screen in some language Gaz couldn't detect.

_A scan?_ Gaz shook her head in disbelief. _I'll never understand Irkens._ She went back to studying Tak, who hadn't seemed to move a muscle since the two arrived. She was arched like a frightened cat. That disturbed Gaz for some reason she didn't quite fully comprehend, and the girl had to look away.

"Done," Zim announced. He was frowning. "Well, it seems Tak here won't be much of a problem after all. Her PAK is completely faulty. Might as well dispose of it. And her," he added with a distasteful grimace.

"Did you find out what the problem was?"

Zim shrugged. "It's hard to say. If she really has been floating around space for... how many human years? Five-ish? Well, her PAK must have eventually shut off." He paused, and then explained, "Think of a PAK as a very sensitive computer. If it shuts off improperly, data may be destroyed. Tak's PAK shut down for some various reasons and was forced to reboot when the pod activated it as a safety precaution, most likely upon entering the atmosphere. And, well. Data was damaged."

Gaz looked into the ship, GIR giggling as she did so. "...Can it be fixed?"

Zim laughed at that, as cruel and mocking as ever. Then he rubbed a hand to his forehead. "Ah, simple girl. Zim knew it was a matter of time before the human instinct of pity reared its ugly face for you." He waved his hand. "But it's merely a side-effect of your species. No, little Gaz, Tak won't ever be back to her normal evil self. And what's to stop me from, say, destroying her, now that she's unable to fight back?"

It took the girl a moment to respond- she almost looked like she was caught off-guard. Then she tightened the clench on her fists and hissed, "Because even I know that beating someone when they can't fight back is wrong. Plus, I can take you on."

"HAH! You cannot compare to the mighty ZIM!" The Irken sounded like he meant it, but he flinched when he saw Gaz's fists at her side. "...But you have a point. The filthy traitorous girl gets to live to see another miserable day." He glared down at Tak and added hastily, "I can't possibly keep her here. There's no room, and GIR would... well. Be GIR." The SIR unit on Gaz's shoulder squealed and jumped to his master's head, curling up and immediately falling asleep.

Gaz raised an eyebrow. "...I see your point. Well. I guess she could have Dib's room. He can like, sleep in the garage or something." She grinned. "After all, dad's never home, he spent his one day out of work today for Dib's recital."

"INGENIOUS." Zim cackled, rubbing his hands together. "You will keep the Tak monster as your pet and out of my sight. I can't wait to tell the Tallests about this mighty victory for Zim!"

"Victory?" The girl rolled her eyes. "You wanted to destroy her, you didn't get your way."

"SILENCE," Zim snapped. He obviously felt like yelling today, and he snapped a hand toward the exit. "Now, get this Irken out of my sight at once. I never want to see her again. And for her- and my- sake, she'd better not get discovered." His eyes narrowed. "She probably still has a holographic device. Use it."

It was then the base decided to interrupt with a sound like someone clearing their throat. "Uhm, I really need your attentions... now... okay?"

Zim sighed. "What is it?"

"Uh, there's some crazy kid ready to pound down your door. It's the paranormal kid, I think."

Slowly, Zim turned to Gaz, his voice dangerously close to being threatening. "Did you, by chance, tell your brother you were leaving, Dib-sister?"

Gaz groaned, slapping herself in the head. "Does it sound like I did?"

Zim sighed and put his hands behind his back, facing the exit with a final glare to Tak. "Well, she will have to wait a little longer. Let's go bring you back to your sibling before he ruins my lawn."

It didn't take too long to get back to the house level of the base- well, they hadn't been trying to hurry in the first place, either. Indeed, pounding could be heard from the outside of the door. GIR, who had been blissfully snoozing on Zim's head, woke up and hopped on the couch, flicking on the TV with a remote. Gaz snorted. "Some guard, huh?"

"Shut up," was Zim's brilliant response. He positioned himself right behind the door and called, "Dib-monkey? Is that you?"

"What do you think? Let me in! Where's Gaz?"

"Ridiculous." Gaz smirked at how legit Zim sounded. "Why would I have your evil sibling?"

"Zim! Don't be stupid!" Dib pounded again, starting to sound desperate. "If you hurt her, I'll... I'll..."

"What? Leak idiocy on me?" Zim leaned against the door boredly, studying a hand. "And what does it matter to you what I do in my spare time?"

"She's my sister!"

"Correction, she _was_ your sister."

Dib had gone silent on the other end. Gaz chuckled quietly, half because she liked to mess with Dib and half to cover a sense of decency that had attempted to control her. Zim noticed this silence and smirked, an antennae twitching in amusement. But he turned to Gaz anyway. "Ugh. Fine. Go, human." Still smiling cruelly, he walked past Gaz to go back to his lab. "But don't forget to pick Tak up later."

"Mhmm." Gaz hesitated with her hand on the doorknob, but opened it anyway. She didn't see Dib at first, but then noticed him sitting on the porch, hunched over. Hearing the door open, he spun around, backing up hastily to his feet. He kind of stared at Gaz in shock- she could see his eyes were red.

Unfortunately for Gaz (and maybe Dib, too), the girl had the breath knocked out of her when the boy squeezed her into an embrace. "G-G-Gaz! I t-thought Zim really... h-had..."

Gaz sighed, feeling it was degrading to not only be hugged by her brother, but also her much _taller_ brother. "Dude, I'm fine. You're such a whiner." After a moment of no release, she snapped, "Hey! Someone might see! Do you _want_ people to think we're involved with incest?"

Dib let her go, and he stared at her for a moment, as if just remembering something. His soft amber eyes narrowed and he stepped back. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" he spat, looking almost as angry as his sister. "He could have experimented on you, or sent you to his stupid little alien friends!" The boy held out his arm, gesturing toward the base's door. "Dad's upset, I thought you were dead, suddenly leaving without saying anything..."

"I think you're over-reacting," Gaz muttered, crossing her arms and turning her head. From the corner of her eye she saw Dib glaring at her, and she turned back and raised her arms in frustration. "What? It was stupid, okay! God, Dib, I can take care of myself."

Dib opened his mouth to respond, but the door to the base opened and Zim stepped out with harsh eyes. "What are you Earth filth doing on my porch? Go home! Scat!" He went back in, slamming the door behind him, but almost immediately opened it again and threw a disguised GIR out. "And while you're at it, take my robot for a walk!"

"I like lamps!" GIR spun around on the sidewalk, faded green costume picking up dirt. Zim gave him a disgusted look and slammed the door again.

Gaz stepped over the robot and slowly walked out of Zim's property. Dib, who had been staring at the SIR, blinked with widened eyes and hurried after her. GIR squealed and latched himself to the back of Dib's leg. The boy tripped over himself, almost falling. "Stupid machine, get off! Gaz! Gaz, where are you going?"

"Home," Gaz snarled, without turning back. "That's what you wanted, right?"

Dib's face turned a shade darker with rage and he stopped trying to walk. "Just wait a sec. Dad told me to watch you!"

Gaz, who paused a couple yards away, glanced back with a smirk. "Well, you're not doing your job, then," she laughed coldly as she continued on her way.

The boy looked ready to blow a fuse. Clenching his fists, he yelled angrily, "STOP MOVING!"

His sister's response was a waving middle finger before she continued into the darkness. Dib forced himself to take a couple deep breaths and he glared down at the little robot on his leg. GIR stared up at him before screaming and falling off, rolling around on the ground again. With narrowed eyes, the boy looked from the silhouette of his sister walking away, then back to the SIR. Sighing, he leaned down and picked up the pull-string from GIR's costume. "Let's go, then. I can always take you back to my place and experiment on you."

"WHOO! I like goin' places!"

Dib rolled his eyes and began pulling the SIR along, who would trail behind every once in a while and let himself be dragged. Dib was too involved in his thoughts to care.

_What would Zim possibly want with my sister? That's creepy. For all I know, he's like. Probing her or something._ The boy shivered. _Nah, he wouldn't be alive if he tried that. Not like I care, I don't. But, I mean. He must be plotting something horrible..._

_

* * *

_

_**Today's Random Facts!**_

_. The hardest character for me to write with is probably Dib :c_

_. The hardest character for me to draw is Tak, definitely- Dib use to give me trouble, though_

_. My favorite character to write AND draw is Gaz, I think (mega easy to draw!)_

**_Today's Question of the Day:_**

Who is your over-all favorite IZ character? _If you say GIR I'll brick you. Lol, not really! Mine's probably Dib, but Gaz is close, too. Give your opinion in a message or review, and feel free to answer past questions. Wish you all a great new school/work year!  
_


	5. Of Tallests and Tak

_I worked on this chapter when I was very tired, so I apologize if there's any major mistakes or if it just doesn't make sense. xD Also, I'm starting to respond to reviews because I think that if you people take the time to write one up, I should be able to respond. And as always, hope you awesome peeps enjoy the update!_

* * *

"COMPUTER! How long does it take to open a transmission with the Massive?"

"Your call is on hold, sir. There's nothing I can do about it," the base droned.

Zim growled in response. He'd been pacing the room for only a few minutes, but with his patience it felt like hours. After the departure of the humans, Zim had immediately gone back underground to call the Tallests and boast about the capture of Tak. The blank screen in front of him was starting to get on his nerves. And, of course, this meant he had to complain about it.

"How dare someone else waste Zim's valuable time!" The Irken crossed his arms, glaring up at the large screen. "The Tallest should know the importance of my mission!"

"Sir, there's someone-"

"Silence! I am in no mood to listen to my house's nonsense!"

"...Okay," the base responded warily.

Pleased to have something obey him for once, Zim went back to his pacing, staring down at his boots and glancing up every few seconds. Angrily, he began muttering, "Lousy technology, telling the mighty Zim when he can and can't speak to his Tallest! There's nothing around here that listens to me anymore! Not that horrible robot, or any of the stupid, ugly filth creatures that inhabit this mudball of a planet..."

"Ugly filth creatures?"

Zim's head snapped up and he jumped back with a short cry of alarm. Standing in front of him was Gaz, one eyebrow raised and her hands set on her hips. Still shocked, the Irken covered his flustered expression with a hiss. "What do you think you're doing here, human? I thought your sibling dragged you off?"

Gaz's frown wavered slightly upwards. "Dib couldn't drag off a two-year-old on crutches. I ditched him and said I was going home." She paused, and then shrugged. "I don't know or care where he went."

One of Zim's antennae flicked, amused. He thought for a moment, and then shook his head fiercely. "First of all, Zim does not appreciate uninvited guests wandering into his base. And especially not underground. Second, you must pick up Tak later. I'm expecting a very important call from my Tallest." He waved her off with his hands. "Now shoo."

The girl didn't move. In fact, she looked rather annoyed, which Zim probably should have expected anyway. "Okay, one, I'm not going anywhere. Two, you have to stop doing... that."

"...What?" Zim tilted his head slightly in confusion, eyes narrowing.

"The weird talking thing. You switch from 'I' to 'Zim' and it's creeping me..." Noticing the expressionless look on his face, the girl rolled her eyes. "...You know, never mind."

"Are you making fun of... me?" The Irken was growing more agitated by the second, between the base and Gaz.

"Yep," Gaz responded, sounding eerily cheerful. "The only reason I exist is to make your life miserable. Well, yours and Dib's. And most other people on Earth. Probably other planets, too."

"Is that all?"

"Sir?"

"What?" Zim turned to glare at the blank screen, only to shrink back. The screen was no longer blank. Instead, two tall Irkens stared down, obviously bored and a little puzzled at the sight of Gaz. Zim made a squeaking sound and bowed to the monitor. "M-my Tallests! I was starting to worry you'd never get off the other line. It's been a while since I've last updated you of my progress!"

"A whole week," the red-eyed Irken sighed, leaning back in his seat. "We were starting to think something tragic had happened to you. I knew it was too early to start celebrating- I mean, mourning." He studied a hand idly, which consisted of merely two claws.

The Irken in purple next to him blinked in Gaz's direction with the slightest bit of interest. "What's that?"

"Eh?" Zim followed his gaze. "Oh, oh! Her! This is..." He hesitated before answering with fake pride, "M-my human slave! Yes, such a slave she is..."

Gaz, who had been watching the tall Irkens on the screen, whipped her head toward Zim, amber eyes locked in a piercing glare. "What?"

"Heh, Zim needs a moment to discuss things with the slave girl." He gave his Tallest a large, nervous smile and pulled Gaz around the corner by her arm, out of the monitor's view. The Irken lowered his voice. "Dib-sister, have you not heard of acting?"

"I am _not _pretending to be anyone's servant," the girl snarled back, pulling her arm out of Zim's grip. "Especially for you! You're going to have to tell your stupid alien pals that you are a big fat liar!"

"Come on!" Zim sounded almost desperate. "I know, we will make a trade. Humans do this, yes? If you fake being a slave drone, Zim will..." He paused, hastily trying to think of something. "Will let you come in the base when you please. And uh. Create you an ultra... game... machine thingy!"

Gaz rubbed her chin, purposely dragging on the time to mess with Zim. "Hmm. I dunno. I do like games. But I don't really feel in the mood for acting..."

Zim raised his hands in frustration. "For the love of Irk! You can play with my doomsday devices!"

"Deal." Gaz smiled over-sweetly. _A free place to hide from Dib, a mega game system and some ultra weapons. And all I have to do is lie to some aliens! Jackpot!_

Zim walked back in front of the screen and coughed, Gaz following behind him. "Uh, anyhow, yes, this is my slave monkey. She does everything, yes indeed. Yep." He straightened his back. "I know you must be amazed with this incredible feat. And if this impresses you, wait until you hear who I've got here in the base!"

"Besides the human, you mean?" The Irken with red eyes looked ready to shoot himself. The other seemed to at least be _trying_ to look attentive, but Gaz thought he was failing horribly. Of course, Zim didn't seem to notice, so the tall alien spoke on. "Well, hurry up then and spit it out. We have, uh, other important things to do."

The other Tallest tried to smile. "Really. Important things. Yes."

"TAK!" Zim blurted, unable to contain his excitement. The sudden shout made both of the tall Irkens jump. "That filthy girl's escape pod crashed into a film-viewing building. She no longer is useful to the empire, as her PAK has crashed. She's defective," he added helpfully with a proud grin.

"Defective? You don't say." Gaz noticed a smirk flicker across the red-eyed Irken's mouth. "Well, um, great. It's nice to know that. I doubt I could have lived another second without that notice, Zim." He rubbed a hand over his face and whispered something to the other.

Almost forcefully, the violet-hued Irken continued smiling. "G... Good work, Zim. Invader. We..." The tips of his antennae twitched. "We have to go do things now. Um. Call us later. If you have to."

As the screen went blank, Gaz saw the purple-eyed Irken getting punched in the shoulder by the other, and she frowned. That had not gone as she expected. _What was the point of pretending I was a slave? _She rubbed the back of her head. "Well, that was pointless. They didn't care about me or Tak."

Zim, who had been silent, sniffed stubbornly. "Foolish child. The Tallest consider me one of their greatest invaders. My accomplishments bring them much anticipation for the future of Irk to come. Now that they know about Tak, they no longer have to worry over her."

Gaz almost laughed, instead giving a cold snort. "Geez, Zim, how dumb are you? Those jerks don't care about you at all." Her mocking glare met Zim's puzzled gaze, and her eyes instinctively softened. "Don't you notice how they treat you?"

The Irken didn't respond at first, instead giving the girl a cautious look. "...What are you talking about?"

Ready to start the insult fest, the girl opened her mouth to begin, but instead found herself unable to say anything. The hint of worry in the alien's magenta eyes made her hesitate, and instead she decided, "You know, I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm just messing with you. They probably went off to inform their people or something."

"Oh... Oh!" Zim laughed. "Of course! I'm ashamed to have even the slightest doubt in my Tallest." He poked Gaz in the stomach roughly, making her blink in surprise. "You think you are funny, Dib-sister? Try a stunt like that again and you may find yourself without a throat to blabber with. Now, let's go fetch your pet, and then I'll start thinking about your electronic I promised." He spun on his feet and began marching off to the storage room.

Gaz stood for a moment, then frowned and followed. What was the use arguing with him? He would just find some way to avoid common sense.

"Where's GIR?"

Gaz blinked out of her thoughts as Zim spoke in front of her. She stared at the back of his head. "Huh? Oh, Dib took him somewhere. I wouldn't count on getting him back tonight, though, Dib seems really pissed at the moment. Mostly with me, I think." When the Irken didn't respond, she began humming quietly to wash away any unwanted awkward silence.

Once at Tak's pod, Gaz didn't hesitate to glance inside. Tak had not moved much, emotionless eyes staring at them and spine arched in a frightened manor. She was still attempting to hide behind the seat, somewhat squished from lack of room. Zim shook his head, disgusted as always. "I can't believe you humans. Pity is a worthless feeling that just weighs you down. But at least she will be out of my sight. Computer!"

"What?"

"Stand by in case she decides to attack." Gaz backed up a little as the alien took a wire out of his PAK and pressed it into a small hole in the escape pod. There was a clicking sound and the covering opened, leaving nothing standing between them and the female Irken. However, she made no move, and Zim's lower jaw stuck out a bit in irritation. He seemed to have been expecting something a little more.

"Now what?"

Zim turned to Gaz. "Eh?"

"I mean, she's just sitting there. Do we pull her out or just kind of wait?"

He looked back at the cornered Irken girl before glaring over at Gaz again. "How should I know? I'm not responsible for her, remember?" He stepped back and gestured to the pod with a smug grin. "Go ahead. Go work out some of that human skill you claim to possess."

"Fine." Gaz folded her arms across her chest and slowly approached the open escape pod. She saw Tak's antennae flick when she came near, and didn't know if that was a good sign or bad. Sounding almost nervous and unsure, the girl quietly asked, "Tak? Can you understand me?"

No response was said, but instead the Irken girl's expression twitched. Gaz experimentally leaned in a little closer and was shocked into flinching back when Tak's mouth curled into a feral snarl, as if to tell the human she was too close. Gaz blinked and tried bending closer again, Tak unresponsive this time.

"It's okay, Tak," Gaz tried to explain, forcing her voice to remain leveled. "I'm going to bring you to my home, and you can stay there for a while, alright?"

"Dib-sister," Zim warned lightly. "Perhaps Tak should be sedated. You don't want to trigger the PAK's defense system."

"It's fine," Gaz responded, resisting the urge to snap something back. She was far too stubborn for help when she was trying to accomplish something. Hoping to show she wasn't a threat, she smiled, but Tak didn't seem to respond to the rather friendly gesture. Gently, the girl said, "I know you must have been in space for a while, but you're safe now. I bet it'll feel good to stretch your legs."

Slowly, Gaz stretched out her hand to the Irken, happy to find that she wasn't cringing back. The first step was to make sure Tak felt comfortable around her, and she had to prove that everything was fine. A couple inches away, the girl hesitated before softly placing her hand against Tak's head.

The base computer gave a nervous hum, and Zim yelped something that Gaz didn't quite catch until it was too late. The second Gaz's skin brushed Tak's, the Irken's purple eyes seemed to narrow and she hissed, lunging for the girl's face with claws flexed out and teeth bared.

* * *

_Le Gasp! It's a Tak-Attack!_ o-o

**_Today's Random Facts:_**

_. I hate trying to write cliffhangers. :c_

_. I also dislike this chapter a lot._

_. This story will most likely have more GaTr than ZaDr. *dodges angry readers* _

_**Today's Question of the Day:**_

What's your favorite IZ couple? _I think this is a hard one. I'll probably go with ZaDr... though lately I've been in a GaTr mood. I like other couples too, though, like RaPr or ZaGr. c: So leave your opinions in a review or message, and feel free as always to respond to previous questions if you haven't already! Have a great morning/evening/afternoon!**  
**_


	6. Scarred for Life

_Two updates in one day! Praise me, PRAISE ME! Not really. ^-^ Also, people have been wondering about the ZaDr and GaTr. The GaTr will show up much earlier than the ZaDr, but don't worry. It'll be here!  
_

_So, as always, enjoy!  
_

* * *

For Gaz, everything slowed down. She let out a scream despite herself, but for the situation it could be excused. Knocked backwards by the force of Tak's pounce, the girl's vision went red, mind going fuzzy. She couldn't feel pain yet, but knew that sharp claws were slicing the skin across her face, and her mouth opened in a silent wail when she felt pressure on her throat; Tak had sank her teeth into the girl's neck, shaking fiercely like a shark. Though Gaz felt numb, she knew that in a matter of seconds Zim's threat would come through, and she really would have no throat to blabber with.

Zim, in shock, could only watch as Tak viciously began tearing at the human, crunching her jaw on the other girl's neck. That was about when he panicked and yelled, "COMPUTER! Tranquilize Tak! NOW!" He rushed to the female Irken and pulled backwards on her PAK, digging his claws in, if not just to distract her. He heard the computer's whirring response and a tube slid out of the wall, bearing a needle dripping with some sort of Irken liquid.

Tak opened her mouth and hissed at the aggressor, but it turned into a gargled whine when the needle was stuck in her PAK. The fast-acting sedative made her go limp across Gaz, and Zim shoved her off with little effort.

He couldn't see Gaz's wounds under the sloppy crimson blood, and the stench made his antennae quiver. Knowing little about human anatomy, the Irken hastily removed his glove and pressed on the girl's palm. She was still alive, that much he could tell. But she didn't seem to be very conscious. And major blood loss, even Zim knew, could be fatal to any human. Clenching his teeth in frustration, the Irken snapped to the base, "Computer! Ready the voot! I need to take her to the medical center! Do not allow Tak to wake, and if Irk help us she does, lock her in here!"

"Yes sir."

Zim grimaced. Now he had to do something he really would regret later.

x-x-x-x

"Are you tired yet?"

"NOPE!"

Dib sighed, staring down the dark street. He had thought that taking GIR for a very long walk would get the unit to calm down. Of course, it did not work that way. If anything, the robot seemed as lively as ever, and it was starting to get on Dib's nerves. The boy stood on the sidewalk as the SIR rolled through the soggy grass in people's yards, creating mud that the owners would surely not find pleasant in the morning.

Suddenly GIR stopped, sitting up and staring blankly at nothing. This caught Dib's eye, and he turned to the robot. "What's wrong? Finally tired?"

"I'ma gettin' called from ma master!" The SIR unzipped the head of his costume and looked into a monitor that Dib couldn't see, which appeared from his head. The boy raised an eyebrow and looked away. He didn't want anything to do with Zim at the moment, not after that cruel joke.

GIR brought back the screen and didn't say anything. Then he started screaming. Dib jumped and hurried over, picking up the robot and covering his mouth. He saw lights blink on in the house they were by, and Dib quickly began walking with the SIR in his arms. Lightly, he hissed, "What are you doing? You want to wake up the entire neighborhood?"

He moved his hand away from GIR, and was happy to find the robot didn't continue yelling. However, he also noticed tears swelling in the automaton's eyes, and he sighed, setting GIR down and bending over to face him. "Hey, I'm sorry for sounding mean," he said gently. "What did Zim say?" He zipped back up the SIR's dog costume.

GIR sniffed, rubbing a paw over his eyes. "Mastah says that Gizzy is hurted, and he gonna take her to the healing humans. I like the Gizzy."

Dib could barely hear the last half of the sentence, his head pounding and mind going dizzy. _Zim's done something to Gaz_. The next thing he knew, he was sprinting in the direction of the hospital, GIR clinging to the back of his shirt.

_This better not be another prank. But if she really is hurt, I'm going to kill him._

x-x-x-x

_He's gonna kill me!_

Zim paced the emergency room entrance, antennae lowered beneath his wig. It hadn't taken long at all to get Gaz to this stupid place, but he had been required to give some phony story as soon as she was rushed off by nurses. His cover was that they had been in the front yard when she was suddenly attacked by a rabid dog. When asked while he wasn't wounded, or where the dog was now, he merely shrugged. He knew the doctor would trust the story, though he also knew that further questions would eventually be asked.

The Irken did not like this place much at all. He had to stay in this waiting room, and while it was not _too_ occupied this night, the few others in it were very distracting. A couple chatted very loudly nearby about topics Zim really would rather not listen to, and across the room some teenagers were hanging out. The people who were making Zim the most uncomfortable were some adults in the corner who were weeping softly. For some reason, that was making the alien a little edgy.

To cover these things up, Zim began talking to himself in frustration, glaring at the ground. "Why did I ever let the Dib-sister in my base? I should have killed Tak when I had the chance." His false eyes narrowed. "Surely she'll let me destroy her now. Oh Irk, and why did I ever tell GIR? The Dib is going to terminate me!"

"I might."

Zim looked up just in time to be socked in the face, hissing as the fist collided with his cheek. The Irken stumbled back, surprised, but quickly snapped out of his confusion and shoved the human backwards. "Watch it, Dib-monkey. You might hurt yourself."

"Screw off. What did you do to Gaz?" Dib's face was turning red, from both exhaustion and anger. GIR had crawled off in search of who knows what, but that wasn't on the top list of Zim's priorities at the moment.

"I didn't do anything," Zim growled, a dark bruise forming where the other had punched him- it would heal soon, thanks to his PAK. But it still annoyed him. How dare Dib do so much as poke the mighty skin of Zim, let alone wound! The Irken crossed his arms. "Well, let me rephrase that. If Zim had indeed done nothing, your sister would be bleeding out on my floor." Obviously irritated, he continued, "But I did nothing hurtful to her."

"Oh yeah?" Dib was close to wringing the alien's neck, but they were already getting weird stares. "Then what happened?"

"Dog," Zim said simply with a wave of his hand. "Big one. Got... in the base. Yep." He saw Dib's glare increase, and he sighed angrily. Lowering his voice, the Irken explained, "Okay, she was attacked by Tak, alright? Be grateful Zim stopped her, or your sibling would not be here at all."

Dib looked the exact opposite of grateful. He shoved Zim aside and walked up to the emergency room counter, most likely wanting a report on his sister. The Irken watched him go, and sneered silently before turning his head to look for GIR. He spotted the disguised robot curled up on the lap of one of the crying humans, who seemed a little cheered up with the small SIR on their lap. Zim averted his gaze and shook his head. There was no reason to wait any longer, now that Dib was here.

The boy was arguing with the nurse as Zim took his leave. Dib was pretty much fed up with everything at the moment, and he rubbed his temples. "I need to see my sister. Now. What's so hard to understand?"

"I'm sorry, we can't accept visitors for her at the moment. If you could wait just a little while, we will inform you when you can see her."

It was no use to start a fight. Dib left the counter and practically fell into one of the hard room seats, putting a hand over his eyes. It had been such a long night, the recital being stressful enough, but now with all this to top it off it was just torture. All he wanted was some rest, and if that meant sleeping on a stupid hospital chair, that was what he would get.

Dib felt something on his lap, and he lifted his arm to find GIR happily drifting into sleep mode. The boy put his hand on the robot's back and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Just a few minutes of peace and quiet was all he needed.

x-x-x-x

Dib woke to a slamming noise, and he jumped, still half asleep. Turning his head and letting his eyes adjust, he saw that the sky was getting lighter through the window. It was sunrise. The boy adjusted his glasses and looked down to find GIR still dozing on his lap, then glanced around to find the source of the disturbance. He was surprised to see his dad arguing with the lady at the counter as Dib had done before. Blinking, Dib stretched and yawned loudly, causing his father to look over and notice him. He said something else to the lady and stormed over, taking a seat next to Dib.

"Hey dad," Dib greeted tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "You're not at work."

"No," Membrane agreed rather bitterly. He was in his usual lab coat, but it was stained with various colored liquids, implying that he had left the lab in a hurry- the professor liked to be clean in public. He also looked frustrated, which wasn't uncommon. "I just received a call about Gaz. You'd think they would have the decency to call as soon as she arrived. What happened?"

"She was attacked by a dog."

Membrane looked down at the disguised robot on Dib's lap. "This one? He's rather small."

"No, not him." Dib patted GIR on the head soothingly, and the SIR fidgeted in his sleep. "He belongs to Zim. Gaz was bitten by... a doberman." _Wow, I'm good._ "A big one. It was loose around town. I think it was caught."

"How bad is she?" The professor seemed genuinely worried, which surprised Dib. He never seemed so upset when his son got hurt. But then again, Dib got hurt a lot- this was the first time Gaz ever suffered a major injury.

"I'm not sure," Dib admitted. "She was with Zim. He brought her here."

"The foreign boy?"

"Yeah."

"It's good he got her here quickly." Membrane sounded thoughtful, which worried Dib.

The last thing Dib needed was for his father to believe he owed Zim something!

"Sir, your daughter is ready to see you now." A nurse held out a clipboard to Membrane, who took it warily. "We just need you to sign in our visitor's log. She is in room 315, just take that elevator over there to lever three and she's right around the corner." The girl gave a smile so overly-sweet Dib's thought he might get cavities, and she left once Membrane signed down his name.

"Visitor's log! She just wanted my autograph." Membrane sounded bothered still, and he stood up. Dib did the same, cradling the snoozing GIR in his arms. "There wasn't a single other name on that list! Bah, you'd think people would have the decency to wait until you're not busy."

The father and son (and robot) took the elevator up and quickly found the correct room. Inside, a doctor seemed to be attempting to question Gaz, who didn't look responsive. Dib swallowed thickly. She looked much worse than he expected. Now he knew why it had taken so long to be able to get in- she had needed to get stitches. Her face looked horrible, scarred and stitched where it looked like peels of flesh had been ripped off. There were also stitches on her neck, mainly around her throat, and he could see bite marks as he walked to stand next to her bed.

"Gazlene!" Membrane looked almost horrified, and he was by her side in about three strides. "How are you feeling, daughter? You don't look well at all! If only I'd been notified about this." He gave a sideways glare to the doctor, who shook his head and stood back.

"I'm fine," Gaz said hoarsely. Obviously, she really didn't feel fine at all. "It's just some scratches..."

"You shouldn't make her talk," the doctor stepped in, approaching the bed once more. "Whatever attacked her nearly pierced through her throat. It'll take time to heal." He frowned, then turned to Dib. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"Dog."

"Ah." The doctor scribbled something down on a notepad. "In any case, we are going to keep her here for the day. She lost a lot of blood. Assuming she is healing alright, she'll be free to go home in the morning."

"Very well," Membrane sighed. He leaned over and gave Gaz a small peck on the head. "You get some rest, honey, and I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow."

"I'll stay here, then."

"No you won't," the doctor said. "She needs quiet. You can wait in the visitor's center. I'll give you a couple minutes to talk, though. Just don't make her speak too much."

He and Membrane exited, the professor giving his daughter a last glance before he did so. Dib soon found himself growing irritated again, and he had to look away to stop himself from glaring at Gaz. She noticed, and shifted in her bed, wincing as she did so. "What's your problem?"

"Everything."

"Besides that?"

"What do you think?"

Gaz exhaled loudly. The sound made the robot in Dib's arms stir, and he blinked his eyes open. Seeing the girl, he happily jumped away from Dib and shuffled on Gaz's stomach, nuzzling cheerfully with his head. Gaz looked a little pained, but she smiled. "Hey, GIR. What're you doing here?"

"Visiting YOU!" He hugged her, and whined when Dib lifted him away. "Heeeeeey..."

"You're going to hurt her." Dib tightly gripped the squirming robot.

Gaz frowned, shooting Dib one of her famous death glares. "He's not doing anything wrong. Why do you always have to be such a jerk?"

"_Me_, a jerk? Hah!" The boy couldn't keep the mockery out of his tone. "If you would have listened to me and gone home, you wouldn't be here right now. You're so stubborn!"

"Just like my dear brother," Gaz sneered back, the scarred flesh on her face giving her an even darker aura than usual.

Dib looked away. He couldn't say anything more on the subject, so he turned and walked out, hugging a tearful GIR to his chest. This was his fault. If he had not been so rude, surely Gaz would have listened better? Then she would not have those hideous permanent scars, and Zim would never have had to do a brother's job for her.

_Now I'll be able to look at her every day and see just what kind of brother I am._

_

* * *

_

_Oh noes! Poor Dibbers and his constant conflict! D: Shouldn't he be happy his sister survived a rare Tak-Attack? _

**_Today's (second dose of) Random Facts:_**

_.__ I literally__ was up thinking of this idea all night. xD So I had to go ahead and start writing it. I didn't think I'd get it done, but that just goes to show what I know!_

_. I enjoy making Gaz get injured. And any character, really._

_. I have trouble ending chapters. :c_

_**Today's (second) Question of the Day:**_

What's your favorite episode? _Mine would have to be Tak: The Hideous New Girl, but I also enjoy Backseat Dri__vers from Beyond the Stars! Feel free to leave your answer in a review or message, and please do answer past questions as well. Have a fantastic day/night/underworld time!  
_


	7. Irken Words

_I've been so busy, relatives from other countries decided to visit. So yea. I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but we'll see. As always, enjoy!_

* * *

Zim had been peculiarly quiet while walking back to his home, which kind of shocked himself, though it took a few minutes to realize it. Even with no one around, that never had stopped him from chatting with himself before. Now, however, he didn't feel much like talking. If anything, he felt a little drained, and also a bit upset. Drained because it had been a long night, and upset because of Dib's behavior. Zim could not explain why, but Dib had a way of radiating his bad mood to everyone around him, the Irken included.

He had thought about calling the base for his voot, but decided against it. Maybe a nice walk through the town would help clear his head. So he slowly trudged across the sidewalk, staring down as his boots gently rippled through shallow puddles from that evening's rain. Zim wanted to get back to the base before sunrise, but at the same time he was in no mood to hurry. At the base, he would be forced to pace and contemplate things, and at least this way he would not be forced to stare at the old purple and green wallpaper of his false home.

_Maybe redecorating would take my mind off the humans and that horrible Tak-monster._ Zim rubbed a hand against his forehead, trying to change the subject of his own thought process. _I could cover that spot GIR ripped out, and have the base repair that hole in the ground where those chemicals were spilled._ He thought about it, and then smacked himself in the same spot he'd been rubbing. Quietly, he hissed, "The mighty Zim is getting desperate for change. As soon as I get the word from that miserable Gaz-human, I'll shoot Tak into the sun and fix up my labs. Yes. That is a good plan." The Irken scratched his gloved claws together, a scheming grin plastered to his face while he went over his somewhat silly plot.

Zim's walk was rather uneventful, and at the fence of his base, he was hesitant to continue. He stood on the cement and stared at his base with an expression of loathing. A couple moments passed and he sighed quietly, walking up to his stairs and opening the door, being met by the darkness inside. He closed the door behind him and pulled off his wig, antennae happy to be free from their itchy prison. After carrying the accessory to the couch and setting it on his side-table, he fell back on the soft sofa, sinking back tiredly.

The silence was almost too much for him, so the Irken called weakly, "Computer? Status report on Tak."

"Out cold," the mechanical voice responded in monotone, which made Zim want to pull on his antennae. "She hasn't gotten up once."

"Good. I can't wait to get rid of her." Even if the base's bored droning did make him a little twitchy, Zim was glad to at least have something to converse to. He closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the plush couch. "Did you clean up the human's blood? The last thing Zim wants is for his floor to be stained."

_Though it might help with my décor problem._

"Taken care of, Sir."

Zim exhaled softly, relaxing. His problems could wait for a little while longer. Just a couple hours of peace would do him well, and he'd be fully relaxed for the upcoming day. Opening his still-disguised eyes, he could see the sliver of dawn breaking through the darkness outside. He rolled over, feeling the morning sun's warmth beginning to creep over his frame, and shut his eyes again, listening to the quiet whirring of machines through the walls of his base. Of course, he probably should not have expected this serenity to last.

The Irken jumped at the sound of knocking coming from the other side of his door, and he scrambled to get on his wig. Glaring at the ceiling, he growled, "Computer! Why didn't you tell me someone was coming?"

"I dunno. I guess I expected you to hear it?"

Zim's false eyes narrowed. He slid off the couch and walked over to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob to take a deep breath. It was most likely the Dib, coming to further complain, and Zim wanted to be ready to make a counter-argument. But opening the door, he was met with a floating screen, and he instinctively stepped back. It was a hovering monitor, and on the screen was the face of some unrecognizable human scientist who looked very staid.

Zim blinked, and with a rather hostile tone, he snapped, "What?"

"Are you Zim?"

The Irken gave the man a sideways glance. Was this a trick? He usually would have slammed the door in this machine's face, but curiosity and boredom got the best of him. Cautiously, the alien responded, "Why? Who are you?"

"I work at Professor Membrane's scientific research lab. He claims that a mister Zim saved his daughter, and he's invited this Zim to be a guest of honor at the city center's annual science festival. It's tomorrow afternoon." The man sounded almost as emotionless as Zim's computer, which took either a lot of skill or a lot of time making these sort of calls.

_Science festival? I could use this as an opportunity to find out a lot about how earthlings do... science... stuff._

It was weak reasoning, but honestly, half the reason Zim even considered going was because he needed something to occupy his time. The Irken clawed his chin. "Hmm. Well. Tell him that Zim accepts this... gracious offer." He blinked. "Will all Membrane's scientists be there?"

"I don't know."

Zim's eyelids dropped at his gruff tone. "...You really don't like your job, do you?"

The man's frown increased, and the monitor hovered backwards. "I'll tell the professor that you will be joining us. Good day."

When Zim went back in his base, he pondered over his decision. The computer wondered over it as well, apparently, because it hummed, "...Sir? Is it wise to take part in an organized celebration? You'll be surrounded by humans. I thought that was. Umm. Kind of your main... thing... you avoid...?"

Zim took out his contacts and shook off the wig loosely hanging from his head. He didn't respond to the computer right away. When he did, he said simply, "Usually." To further explain, he cleared his throat and straightened his back. "This time I will be going to collect information. Membrane must think he owes me for saving the Gaz-human. Hence, this offers me some protection. It's ingenious!" He forced a grin, though there really wasn't anyone to give it to. "Now. Zim just needs to find something to do. Ah, I'll work on some projects. Prepare experiment G-6."

"You finished experiment G-6 last Tuesday, sir."

"Oh, right." Zim waved a hand and chuckled. "Get out test subject 23, then. I'll try out experiment A-9. That one should be interesting, yes?"

The computer took a moment to respond. "Uh. Subject 23 exploded a while ago, and you threw out experiment A-9 sometime in the last couple months."

The Irken blinked, antennae lowering. "...Right. Aha, my PAK must be playing tricks on me. How about V-4?"

"...There is no such thing..."

Zim waved his arms around in defeat. "Well, I'll make that now then! Just give me something to fix!"

"Well, there's a busted SIR unit in Tak's pod. I could set that out for you."

"Perfect," Zim replied, flexing his claws. He was just itching to build something destructive. "Perhaps I'll make this robot into a brand new doomsday monster, one capable of shredding entire cities to ruins within mere minutes!" He raised his hands dramatically, but dropped them again with a grim expression. "Or, maybe I'll just repair it. I could use some extra help around, with GIR not doing his part. Where is that little heart attack, anyhow?" The Irken's lower jaw stuck out, appearing almost worried. "He can't possibly still be with the Dib? Computer, call GIR back to the base. He doesn't need to be hanging about with that stinking human."

"Okay. Anything else?"

The alien thought about it, and then commanded, "Yes, instruct GIR- clearly, slowly and carefully- to ask the Gaz-human how she wishes the destruction of Tak. No, never mind. That's too much for him to handle." The Irken sighed. "Just have him open up a communication line for the girl. I'll ask her myself. The sooner we get rid of the treacherous Tak-monster, the better." He headed over to the elevator in the floor, crossing his arms. "Take me to the lab. Set out the SIR unit's parts, and for the love of Irk, lock Tak back up in her pod afterword. Zim does not need her screwing up his mighty base."

"...Right."

The computer hummed as Zim slowly descended into the underground chambers, and Zim lifted a hand to rub his neck thoughtfully. This festival was going to be an interesting experience, knowing his luck.

x-x-x-x

Dib had dozed off watching the television back in the hospital's waiting room, GIR nestled on his lap. The SIR blinked calmly, staring at his surroundings. A lot more humans were here during the day, injured and sick. Not like the robot noticed this. He was just happy to be around people. A few had stopped to pat him on the head as they passed, which he much enjoyed. Dib had bought him some chips from the snack machine a little while ago, and he was still munching on those when the communicator in his head buzzed. Without taking it out, the disguised robot hummed cheerfully, "Yeeessss?"

"GIR! How is the Gaz-human? I need you to open a transmission with her."

"Aww. She's nice!" GIR nuzzled Dib's arm warmly.

"...Yes, GIR." Zim gave an irritated sigh. "I need you to go open a communication line, okay? Make sure no other humans are around."

GIR didn't respond at first, but after crunching his last chip, he jumped off of the sleeping boy's lap. "Okie dokie!" The little robot shuffled off to the elevator.

Luckily for Zim, the robot made it to Gaz's floor- it was probably coincidental, considering the SIR had little idea of what he was doing- and hoped over to her room with squeaking legs. The doctor was out of the room, so GIR jumped on the girl's bed with a large smile. "HAI GIZZY!"

Gaz, who had been resting, snapped her eyes open and jumped a little, instantly regretting the movement. Back sore, the girl glared at the little robot and snapped, "What?"

GIR, not offended by her tone, snuggled on her stomach comfortably. Gaz's amber eyes softened slightly. "...I mean. Hi, GIR. What's..." Her mouth curved downward, marred by the scabbing wounds. "What's up? Is Dib... being Dib?"

"Yeeeaaaa, he is the Dibben-est now CHECK THIS OUT!" Tongue sticking out happily, the robot brought the transmission screen from his head and put it in front of Gaz.

On it showed a very bored-looking Zim, studying his claws. He seemed to be down in his lab. It took him a moment to notice Gaz on screen, and when he did, his magenta eyes did a double-take. "G-Gaz-human! Uh, right. I was just waiting. Yes indeed." He coughed and straightened up, attempting to look formal. He studied Gaz's face, and even she could tell that he was trying to look expressionless. "Well. You look..." He hesitated. "...Very..."

"Crappy?" Gaz suggested.

Zim's antennae lowered. "Well, yes. But I thought I might try and be nice. For Zim is the face of kindness and peace an blah blah..." He went back to looking bored, forming a mouth with his hand to copy his own words and staring at it with a sigh. "Moving on. I need to hurry and get rid of that miserable Tak, but I thought I should consult you first. Do you have a suggestion for method of death?"

Gaz's face scrunched up, which looked painful to do. "...What?"

The Irken rolled his eyes. "You know. I was thinking of blasting her into the sun, that's always fun to watch. But if you want something simple, I'll just shut off her PAK. We can find a way to dispose of the body."

"Zim," Gaz started, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to kill her. I don't want _you_ to kill her, for that matter."

"What?" Zim spat. He glared at the screen, obviously irritated. "How? How can this BE? She could have slayed you!" The alien was fuming, almost unable to speak. As it was, he was having trouble thinking of anything else to say.

Gaz shook her head. "But she didn't. It's not her fault. I mean, she was scared. I shouldn't have approached her so fast." Hesitant, the girl slowly added, "Might as well have been a dog. That happens to people a lot."

"Yes, and what do humans do to animals that attack?" Zim raised his hands. "They _kill_ them, Gaz!"

"But she's not a dog! I was just using it as an example!" Gaz was growing more frustrated by the second, matching Zim's hot temper with her own. "I'm perfectly capable of watching my back, now that I know what she can do. I'm sick and tired of people telling me what I can and can't do, alright? If Tak isn't there when I come to your base tomorrow, I personally will..." Her words lingered, trying to think of a good enough threat. "...I'll drag you out to Dib's stupid Swollen Eyeball group myself!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Zim hissed, gloved claws balled into a fist. "You retched, horrible girl. Fine. Keep your little alien monster. You can give her a home and a collar with little pink bells. Maybe someday, she'll even stop trying to kill you!"

With that, Zim cut the transmission, and GIR brought back the screen. Noticing the glare still lingering in Gaz's eyes, he smiled and purred, "Aww, Gizzy is upset. I'ma stay with you!"

Gaz exhaled deeply, determined not to take her anger out on the robot. "No, GIR. Go home, okay? You can bring Dib with you. I'm sure he'd love to see Zim." The corner of her mouth twitched into a smirk, and GIR took that as a good sign. He squealed and ran out of the room to go find his human friend, and Gaz slid into a laying position, staring up at the white tiled ceiling. Tomorrow, she'd see if Irkens were any good at keeping their word.

* * *

_Hmm. ;o Perhaps Gaz has a different motive than we thought? Because we all know what a ray of sunshine she is._

_**Today's Random Facts:**_

_. Yeaaa Zim is so hard to write. I'm not use to playing his character._

_. Irken sedatives. Wicked stuff._

_. I'm having trouble thinking right now so :U Let's move on._

_**Today's Random Question:**_

Which un-animated episode do you wish they would have created most of all?_ I think the Trial one would have been very good. Obviously, the ideas of the finale Invader Dib would have been epic. Leave your opinion in a review or message if you want, and please feel free to answer past questions. Have a great remaining summer, everyone, because I start school back up next week! O-o**  
**_


	8. The Festival I

_So, just started the new school year. Been very busy. This chapter caused me much grief- IE, I've been braindead. It's a bit shorter than the others, but I do hope you all enjoy an update!_

* * *

"Hey, there's someone at the door."

"When is there _not_ someone at the door?" Zim threw his hands in the air, flailing them a bit in frustration. The table in front of him was covered in spare parts, the lifeless form of a SIR unit stuck in the midst of the mess. Zim leaned in close to the robot, examining it's open chest plate. "All I need to do is update this thing's guidance and install my new and improved duty chip! I still have GIR's old guidance chip, and I want to make sure this thing is more countable than that little..."

"...Yea, they're in the base now."

Zim hissed, throwing down his tools. "Who? Who has dared cross into the mighty Zim's home?"

"Uh," the computer hummed, stretching it out. "It's, uh, GIR. And that pointy-haired kid."

"_Dib_," Zim growled, storming off to ascend up to house level. The Irken was muttering under his breath the whole while, irritably tapping his foot on the floor. When rising up the elevator, Zim called shrilly, "Unless you're here to apologize, human, go home! Zim does not want you and your big head around!"

"Screw you!"

The alien stepped out into the living room to find a grouchy Dib leaning against the wall. GIR was giggling, sitting on the sofa and watching the television. The Irken clenched his fists, antennae lowering in warning. "Get out! I don't want to deal with your filthy human-ness of... filth. Not today. Zim is very busy." _Busy doing nothing, at least. _He crossed his arms, claws digging into his own flesh. "Unless you know how to fix robots, of course. In which case I'd be both impressed and scared."

Dib snorted. "Right on that. I'm just here to bring GIR back."

"And to do this, you had to enter my base?"

The boy's eyes squinted to a glare. "Look, Zim. I heard my dad invited you to the science fair. I don't know how he can be so stupid sometimes, but you'd better not try anything funny."

Zim gave a shocked expression, tone heavily lined with sarcasm. "What? How can I resist doing anything funny? I'm _hilarious_!"

"Just watch it," Dib snapped. He turned around to leave, opening the door and hand on the knob to shut it behind him. Before he did, however, he looked back at the Irken, eyes glinting darkly. "And you'd better get rid of Tak, Zim. I don't know or care why she's here. And I can't stop Gaz from coming here. But I swear, if she gets hurt again, I _will_ leave you to rot on the government's doorstep."

"Good to see you, too."

Zim watched as the door shut and Dib vanished from view. He stared at the wall for a moment, antennae prickling as GIR laughed madly in the background, before blinking and walking over to the SIR. Warily, the Irken gave his robot a sideways glance. "Was the Dib-monkey mean to you?"

"Nuh-uh!" GIR sucked on his thumb. "He real friendly! But I miss da Gizzy. She gonna be at the partay, can I come?" He grinned happily at Zim.

The alien frowned. "The Gaz-monster is going to go out so soon with her injuries? I suppose she is stubborn enough. Zim will never understand humans." He noticed GIR staring up at him with big eyes, and he realized he hadn't thought about taking GIR or not. He really did not think it was a good idea. But GIR seemed to like Gaz a lot. _Maybe I can dump him off with her_. "Very well," Zim sighed. "You may come. But stay in disguise and behave. Please." He rubbed his forehead, already regretting his decision. "I am going to go finish my project. Watch the base."

GIR clapped happily and giggled, and for a moment, the smallest of smiles slipped into Zim's expression. The Irken put his hands behind his back and headed back to the elevator, thinking about the festival he would be attending in a couple hours.

_I probably shouldn't worry. How bad can it be?_

x.x.x.x.x

"This... is more than I expected."

Zim's eyes widened. How could so many humans gather in such a place? And these weren't just any humans. They were science humans, from the white lab coats to gray bio-hazard suits. A large portion of the town park was covered in different exhibits, showing off new technology and prototype accessories. It was extremely crowded, and Zim's claws instinctively gripped the leash handle of GIR's. The little robot seemed quite over-stimulated, unable to take in all the sights, and was stuck sitting and drooling and watching the people pass by.

"Well, uh..." The Irken took a deep, calming breath. "No big deal. Just... people. Let's find Membrane and get this over with." He started walking, hunched down a little, a rather humble act considering he usually moved with such a high stance. After a moment, he paused and picked up GIR, carrying the disguised robot instead- he feared the SIR would get stepped on or tripped over, which would only cause a scene.

"Gizzy!" GIR blew a raspberry and flailed his arms, smacking Zim in the face as he did so.

"Yes, GIR! We'll find her. Eventually." The Irken held GIR out a little to avoid his random punches. "If we ever get through these filthy, mud-sucking a-"

"Filthy, mud-sucking _what_?"

Zim jumped at the voice, coming from behind one of the exhibits. It was indeed Gaz; the girl leaned against the table almost in a bored manor, out of sight from the crowd. Zim's eyes narrowed and he glanced around before hurrying over, unable to stop GIR from bounding out of his arms and hugging the girl's pants leg. "Gizzy! I missded you! You gonna be ma pocky juice!"

"...Uh, hi," was Gaz's hoarse response, voice sounding a little cracked. She put her hands in her sweater pockets, quietly watching GIR chewing on her leg cheerfully.

"...You look... alright."

Zim eyed her wounds. They did not look better at all. The ugly scabs looked like they had freshly bled, meaning the girl must have picked at them a bit. Gaz seemed to feel his stares, and she turned her head, glaring at the ground. "I know what you're going to say. Keep it to yourself. I'll pick her up tomorrow."

"Uh-huh." _The scary girl is threatening me to keep Tak, but that psychotic boy is going to stalk me to hell if I do._

"...Look. Are you here for dad?"

"Uh-huh."

"I guess I'll take you there, then."

"...Uh-huh."

Gaz shot the Irken a glare before picking up GIR and putting him on her shoulder, where he giggled and rubbed his head on hers. The girl caught Zim's smirk, and she frowned. "What?"

"The Dib-sister has a soft side for lethal aliens _and _drooling morons. How sickeningly cute."

"Are you talking about Tak and GIR, or you and Dib?"

Zim shrugged, so Gaz just rolled her eyes and started walking, leading Zim around the back of the exhibits rather than through the crowd. He didn't mind, of course. After a few steps, however, he coughed awkwardly and glanced around before pulling something from his PAK. "I, er, did some extra research. Here."

Gaz took the folded paper he was holding, giving it a puzzled stare. She opened it to find nothing but a taped-on green and white mint.

"...Umm. Thanks?"

"...It's a, hmm, 'Get-Well Card'. You like mints, right?"

Gaz gave him a sideways glance, trying to see if he was joking or not. But he looked deadly serious, so she flushed and folded it smaller to fit in her pocket. "...Well, uh. They're alright. I wouldn't say I like them extremely well, but..."

"You always smell like mint."

The girl opened her mouth to respond, but really couldn't. Zim noticed the awkward tension and hastily added, "I mean, some humans stink filth like what they've been eating, and at the Dib's concert you were all minty smelling..." He trailed off, feeling stupid and realizing how creepy and dumb it all sounded. _This is why I like to play the bad guy._

"...Oh. Yeah." Gaz stared ahead, expression darkening. She did not continue on the subject, and Zim was going to question her odd shift in tone, but was interrupted when she raised her arm to point out a booth. "There's dad and that dear brother of mine. He's in a charming mood, as always."

As Gaz predicted, Dib stared coldly at the two as they approached, sitting on a picnic chair and reading with earphones in. Membrane, however, looked to be quite upbeat, and he pounded Zim on the back when they were close enough (causing the short Irken to stumble). "Glad you could make it! If you and Gazlene would go over to the stage and sit right in that front row-" He pointed to a stage set nearby, with many rows of white lawn chairs. "-Then I will finish up here and get this fair started. I'd like to introduce our guest of honor!"

Membrane gave a booming laugh and walked off, ruffling Gaz's hair as he went by. "How are you today, Pumpkin?"

Gaz blushed, smacking a hand to her forehead as her father walked off, not waiting for an answer. Zim snorted, and she whipped her head toward him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing." He waved his hands. "Show your hero to his seat now, _Pumpkin_."

The corner of Gaz's eye twitched very slightly, and she shoved Zim aside as she walked past him, GIR squealing on her shoulder. Zim smirked, following with his claws innocently entwined. _Finally. Being recognized in front of a crowd! As a hero, too, though it really is different than what they think. But still! Welcomed with open arms!_

…_Even if it's not the ceremony I've dreamed of._

* * *

_So Zim is starting to feel a bit of neglect, Gaz is the minty menace and Dib is... Dib! The plot will actually be going somewhere soon, rest assured :p I'm not at all pleased with this chapter but ehn. It's late and I'm tired._

_**Today's Random Facts...**_

_. I think part of my soul was lost writing this chapter _

_. My notes ran off again, so for now I have to wing it- let's hope my memory is kind_

_. Umm. Your eyes see images upside down, but your brain processes them to be right-side-up o-o _

_. In case anyone asks if you learned anything today, now you can say yes._

_. I am thinking about starting a new story on the side. For fun. But this one shalt not be abandoned~!_

_**Today's Question of the Day...**_

Crossover stories: character crossing or plot crossing? _This question came to mind when thinking of my new story idea. I always thought it was a bit silly to have characters from different shows/books meet, so I think plot crossing is much more... better. But that's just me. Sorry if this seems random, I just though an opinion would be nice. So if you wish, respond in a review or mail thing! And a big THANK YOU to all my wonderful reviewers! Love ya all! **  
**_


	9. The Festival II

_FINALLY, right? Ugh, writer's block is horrible! But I couldn't let this story rot. :3 Please enjoy this long-overdue update, and a big thanks to anyone who has stuck around this long! Also to any newcomers, of course. So, here ya go, a longer chappie!  
_

_ALSO. I've noticed several people commenting on possible ZaGr-ness of this fic. I promise you, there is no romance between Zim and Gaz. They just have a very awkward friendship that's only going to go downhill from here. No spoilers, of course! ;D  
_

* * *

Gaz lead Zim over to the stage area, where a few people had already seated themselves. The girl's steps faltered, almost hesitant to continue, and her eyes swept a glance over the crowd. In an almost over-casual way, the girl took the clip holding her hair in place out and ruffled the purple locks to cover her face, brushing it carefully in front of her scars. Zim watched her, slowing his own pace down as well. He frowned and tipped his head the slightest bit, a little smile on his lips, but it was still quite smug. "...Self-conscious much, Dib-sister?"

"Shut up."

Zim held up his hands dismissively, gaining a cold look from the other. The Irken could see her expression harden as she dipped her head and hurried over to the front row, Zim following closely. GIR laughed and clung on her shoulder, chewing on the stray strands of hair that blew into his face.

The alien sat uncomfortably on his seat, finding the picnic chair was not the nicest thing to rest on. Gaz slouched beside him, GIR squealing and tumbling off her shoulder to curl up on her lap happily. Zim gave the girl a sideways glare, studying her anxious expression. "...What's wrong with you, Gaz-monster? You're being too quiet. It bothers Zim."

The girl didn't respond immediately. When she did, she sunk lower in her seat. "Turn around."

"...What?"

"Just do it."

Warily, the Irken did so. He looked back at the humans seating themselves and blinked. "...Okay, so you finally realized you hate humanity?"

"No, you moron! Well, I mean yea, that too. Just listen. See that chick in back with pink hair?"

Zim focused on the last row, having little problem seeing with his enhanced vision. He caught sight of the girl he figured Gaz was talking about. She looked like any normal adolescent female, sitting with her fellow giggly teenagers. "Yes. She is with her filthy dirt children friends. So? Don't most humans do that?" He narrowed his eyes to focus his vision, leaning a bit forward. "And, actually, that's more of a lavender than anything..."

Gaz elbowed him roughly. "Quit staring. They'll see you." When Zim turned back, the girl snorted and explained, "Do you recognize her? Her name is Zita, and I think you use to have classes with her in elementary. But she got transferred away and for this year, she's recently moved back. I think she's still in your grade."

Zim scratched his chin curiously. Yes, he did remember that child. She use to sit behind him, if his brilliant Irken memory did recall correctly. She always had good grades for constantly calling Dib crazy. The thoughts made Zim grin, but Gaz's sour expression quickly wiped it away.

"In the eyes of adults, she's fricking perfect. It's an act, of course. She's _horrible_. Those 'friends' of hers are her croonies." She grimaced. "Whenever she gets bored with one she replaces them. She's been a bitch the entire year, I can't stand it. And it's only been a few months!"

The Irken's antennae twitched under his wig. He could hear the group laughing loudly in obnoxious unison. "I don't like them, I think. How much of a threat are they?"

"They're just..." Gaz hesitated. "They use to pick on Dib all the time, until they finally figured out that he was a lost cause. He's too close to his teachers. They only like targets they think are easy." She rolled her eyes. "I just thought I'd let you know. I heard one of them talking about you, which means either you're going to be their next target or they have crushes on you. Either way, you're screwed."

"...That's... disturbing." Zim shivered, lowering his head down as if to try and hide from view.

"Very." Gaz grimaced, ruffling her hair a little more, and then added, "Well, there's some in every school. But I'm going to be stuck with her for another year and a half. At least I'll get to have my senior year in peace."

Zim nodded in agreement, not really sure why he was responding in such a manor. Maybe he felt obliged to comfort the human who was, unexpectedly, seeming to be on the verge of a rant. After a moment of listening to people shuffle to their seats behind him, the Irken decided to ask, "So, you do not like them for the sole reason of their... Personalities? Or is it because they picked on the Dib-monkey?"

Gaz stared at him for a moment, and then hunched down in her seat again. "More than that. I just... always catch them staring at me. During lunch, and in English class. I'm not sure what they want from me. Maybe-"

"Welcome scientists and science-lovers alike!"

Membrane's booming voice made Zim twitch in surprise, false eyes slipping from the girl to the man now on stage. The gathering crowd of people clapped eagerly, sending irritating jolts through the Irken's antennae. As if they'd never seen this guy before! He practically advertised himself around town! Zim shook his head softly at the foolishness of it all.

The man started talking about 'tradition' and 'citizenship' and a bunch of other sappy stuff that pretty much made Zim want to rip off his own PAK. After the first sentence, the alien had gotten bored, and instead glanced around the area. Some of Membrane's employees were lingering around the stage, emotionless as ever. And Dib was there, too. Zim frowned, resting his chin on a hand as he stared absently. The boy didn't look much happier. In fact, he didn't seem like he wanted to be here at all. He was still lounged back on the lawn chair, but he had folded his book over his eyes and put his hands behind his head like a pillow. The Irken noticed that his foot was moving along to a beat, probably from his music.

"What are you staring at?"

Zim blinked, turning his head in response to Gaz's harsh whisper. "Eh?"

She stared back, both lost at the other's intentions, until Gaz rolled her eyes. "...Nevermind. Are you thinking of ways to get back at him?"

"Me? Zim would _never_!" Zim smirked, but it faded to a line. "Wait. What for?"

Again, Gaz gave him that dumbfounded look that he hadn't ever seen before this day. A kind of '_are-__you-serious_?' look. "Uh, well. You guys did seem to be in a rage. I just figure, well, usually you two do stupid stuff to get back at each other... Right?" When Zim didn't show any sign of response, the girl glanced up at her dad (_who was still talking quite cheerfully to the crowd_) before settling on the other again. "You know. Giant water balloons. Muffin-throwing guns." She wiggled her fingers tauntingly. "Portals with a moose. Those kind of stupid revenge deals."

"...How do you know about all that?" Zim's fake eyes narrowed a little. _If she's going into stalking business, I'm screwed._

Gaz flushed the slightest bit, which Zim only caught faint sight of under her mess of hair. "...Well, Dib does talk a lot. Or, he use to, at least. Actually, he never use to shut up. Now he's manageable, but that's not really the point."

"And... You _listened_ to him?"

"Like I had a choice!" Gaz snapped, a little too loudly. The woman seated besides her looked over, and Gaz lowered her voice again. "I mean, seriously, how can you _ignore_ someone like that? You know how he gets. I tried not to listen, but he really just kept blabbering. And he repeated himself over and over unless I did something to stop it, which I did most times, but I really didn't beat him too often, unless he really deserved it, and-"

"Gaz-monster, you're trailing off again."

"Right." The girl turned a deeper shade. "The point is... I don't know. I have a good memory?" Zim was going to argue, but the girl turned away, dismissing the subject. He followed her gaze to, with much confusion, find that she was staring off absently.

"..Do you need medication?"

"Damn, Zim. I'm just thinking. Ever hear of it?"

"You know, I don't think I have." He tried for a smile, but it wasn't returned. "Well, okay, then. What are you thinking about?"

Gaz didn't respond immediately. Then, softer than before, she answered, "You know, I spent a lot of my life trying to get Dib to leave me alone. But until recently, he just didn't get the message. Now that he actually is leaving me be..." She hesitated. "My life is a real drag. At least fighting with him gave me something to do. Now I just kind of feel..."

She didn't finish. Zim frowned, waiting for her to decide. "Feel... kind of what?"

The girl gave a half-hearted shrug. "Bleh."

"Bleh?"

"Bleh."

"Interesting." Zim looked over at Dib again, who hadn't appeared to change position at all. Vacantly, the alien said, "Zim... feels that way, too."

"Bleh?"

"Most definitely bleh."

The two were quiet after that, going back to watching Membrane talk. Neither were catching any words, however, both being lost in thought. Zim sighed softly, closing his eyes. The air was getting crisper, and Zim knew it was going to start raining. Luckily he had bathed in paste before the fair; so while the rain would be uncomfortable, at least he wouldn't burn. He probably would of dozed off, had the Professor's bellow snapped him out of his daze.

"...So allow me to introduce my children, Dib and Gazlene, and our wonderful guest, Zim!"

"He had to check the notes on his hand," Gaz muttered, shrinking in her seat. Zim blinked a couple times to find Membrane beaming over at them. Dib had been poked by a scientist, and now was trudging up to the stage, adjusting his glasses. Zim awkwardly stood up, receiving the audience's thundering clapping. He stared back to the crowd, flinching at the noise to his antennae. All the filthy smiling humans...

_But they are praising for me, the mighty Zim!_

The Irken straightened up proudly, and a little too coldly, he glared down at the girl. "You coming, Dib-sister?"

She muttered in response, but stood up, hands in her sweater pockets as she stared down. GIR had crawled to sit back up on her head, smiling and drooling as he stared at the humans. Zim marched up to the stage, the girl on his heels, and took a stand behind Membrane (_and purposely on the opposite side as Dib_). However, he was grabbed around the shoulder by the Professor, who patted him a bit too roughly on the back and let out a laugh. "Everyone, let's have another round of applause for these good kids here!"

Zim crossed his arms boldly, chin tilted up. He deserved to be rewarded, indeed, even when not knowing exactly why. _They think I saved the girl! Well, I guess I did. But foolish earthlings, don't know the aliens living right under their noses!_ He almost cackled, but held it in and instead displayed a large smirk. _How unsuspecting..._

"Professor Membrane! _Professor Membrane_!"

Zim curiously turned his head to find one of the law enforcement humans approaching. A police human, he decided, judging from the attire. The man looked like he'd run a long way, panting with a buzzing communicator device in his hand. He almost collapsed over on the scientist, but instead just leaned over for a breather. The crowd started murmuring, and while usually Zim would have made a remark about nosy humans, he had to admit to himself that he wanted to know what was wrong, too. Usually, things like this weren't interrupted, were they? But the look of complete terror on the policeman's face was enough to make even the Irken's breath hitch.

"S-sir," he sputtered. "You're t-the only one who could possibly k-know what's going on! W-were you running any tests on a-animals in your lab?"

Membrane's eyebrows knitted together. "I... don't believe so. What's the problem, officer?"

The man's eyes widened fearfully. "T-there's a horrible creature attacking citizens downtown! W-we thought, if anyone had anything t-to do with it, it'd be you!"

"What is it?"

Zim's face turned minty pale. _No. Please, Irk, no..._

"We don't know!" The man waved his arms rapidly. "All we can gather is that it is vicious, has wounded several, and is _headed this way_!"

At that exact point, the entire audience panicked. People screamed and scrambled up, running in circles, trying to find each other. Zim stared, horrified, thoughts churning. He spun around as something pulled on his arm, and found it was Gaz, who looked equally as stressed as he felt. "How'd she get out? I thought you had her locked in the base?"

"I-I don't know!" Zim mentally tried communicating with his base, but received no response. "Something must have happened! Something bad..."

"No shit, captain obvious!" This came from Dib, who shoved Zim away from the girl. He looked almost lethal, amber eyes darkened considerably. "I thought you were getting rid of that little parasite!"

"She wouldn't let me!" Zim angrily jabbed a claw toward Gaz.

"She's just confused and scared!" Gaz grimaced, pulling GIR off her head to hug him tightly. "She just doesn't understand what's going on because she's been screwed up."

"I can't believe you're still defending that thing, after what she did to you," Dib hissed. Gaz flinched back, though her expression was harsh and defensive. "She's a monster, obviously. She's nothing, Gaz! Just a killer alien who needs to be stopped. She tried to destroy us all, remember?"

"Zim's a killer alien, too! You could have ripped off his head five times during your entire speech, but you didn't!" The girl's hands clenched into fists, her hold on GIR the only thing stopping her from lashing out. "And you know what? Maybe she did. But if the situation were turned around... You'd probably try destroying them, too."

Dib didn't seem to know how to respond, so he whipped his attention toward Zim. "Where do you stand?"

"I think..." Zim glanced at them both before stepping forward between them and clearing his throat. "I stand in the area where none of us die. Let's focus on catching her. Then we'll decide what to do." Gingerly, he tapped his claws together. "Sounds good?"

"Wonderful," Dib snapped. He spun around and quickly walked away, down into the frenzied mass of people.

Gaz watched him go, hesitant. After he vanished from view, she seemed to have decided. Her glance toward Zim was almost apologetic, or as much as he could expect from her, at least. "Look, I'm going to try and calm him down. Find Tak, okay? Just... don't kill her." The girl squeezed GIR, who giggled. "I just have a good feeling about this. Which is saying something, 'cause I rarely ever feel okay about anything."

Zim sniffed indifferently, but she took it as a yes, and gave the smallest of smiles before running out to find her brother. The Irken was left to watch as the crowd scattered in attempt to find their way back to the city. Putting his hands on his sides, the alien stared up at the dark gray sky. It couldn't be very late, but already it looked like evening. _If only it would actually rain_, he thought glumly. _I don't think Tak would be going anywhere._

_But when is Zim's luck ever so great?_

_

* * *

_

_Dun dun dun! More Tak-Attacks? D:_

_**Today's Random Facts:**_

_. I've had the first quarter of this sitting around for a month or so. ;c_

_. I really forget to add GIR a lot, and have to go back :U_

_. My Gaz action figure lost a leg D| Damn._

_**Question of the Day:**_

What song best fits the ZaDr romance? _I personally find You're Going Down by Sick Puppies to be a good one for them. :D__ Please feel free to leave your opinion in a review or message, and have a great day/night/magical time!  
_


	10. The Festival III

_Not much to say. o-o Enjoy, and happy late Thanksgiving for those who celebrate! You all can (hopefully) expect a one/two-shot TaGr story by the Holidays!_

* * *

The world was crazy.

Foggy eyes stared ahead blindly, taking interest only in the occasional rustle of shrubs. Responsive purely on instinct, mind clouded and creating a white screen through what little consciousness remained, perhaps she _was_ a monster. The thought, of course, would never strike her. If there was any thought left in the empty shell, it was not going to be guilt or regret. It was going to be the best defense techniques, or the quickest way to rip out a pulse.

Antennae flicked toward a distant sound. The voices of many people screaming in terror, although of course she would not be able to identify it as such. Irken lips pulled back into a wary snarl, exposing jagged, red-stained teeth. The last humans who crossed her path were lucky to still be alive; she was trained to kill, to show no mercy. But she had been shot at by something, and forced to flee. The angry stinging wound on her side was a warning that the beings here were hostile. And, as such, she would have to fight to survive.

The noticeable sound of someone stomping through the forest growth caused the alien to tense, antennae flattening against her skull. Something was coming, but not very quickly, at least by Irken standards. At the precise moment the panting police human tumbled around a tree, the Irken sprung, three-clawed hands stretched out to tear at any available flesh. She landed on the man, sending them both crashing backwards. He let out a gargled scream as the girl hissed and spat words in Irken, not aware even of what she was saying or where she was clawing at. This was a stranger. He was, from her eyes, hostile. He would kill her without a second thought. If she wanted to live, she would have to kill him before he could kill her.

"T-Tak!"

The alien froze, leaving her claws dug into the knocked-unconscious guard's chest. Any other new voice, she would have whipped around in a heartbeat and ripped out the newcomer's throat. But this voice was almost recognizable. For a second, the foggy violet eyes glimmered with recognition, but the next moment she turned her head to growl, dried blood crusted at the edges of her mouth. Something was turning gears in her PAK, or maybe, even her mind. A memory; a kind face and gentle words met with sharpened claws and hostility caused by fear. Some tiny sliver of sanity was speaking. Somehow, the alien could tell this human was not a threat.

But she still eyed the other girl, body tensed and ready to run if shown any signs of an ambush. If she could have seen clearly and processed what she did see, perhaps she would have noticed the heavy scars littering the human's face, caused by her own talons. As it was, all she saw was the still form of a somewhat familiar female. The scent of fear was rolling off her like tsunami waves, just barely easing the tension.

"Tak?" The girl's voice again, but this time less surprised and more leery. She gingerly stepped forward; Tak's eyes narrowed, but she remained rock solid. The human hesitated, not daring to come closer yet. "T-Tak? I-I'm Gaz."

The soft tones were new to foreign antennae. Tak took her claws out of the man, instead resting them on his shoulders. Her eyes never trailed away from the girl, who seemed a bit unsure about what to do.

"IZ A MASTA GIRL!"

Something green sprung out of the human's hands, causing Tak to open her mouth in a wide hiss. Whatever had been coming towards her was whacked away roughly, and she leaped after it, biting down on the small creature and snapping up her head with it in her jaws. It gave a metallic squeal and wriggled. Faintly, over the pulse of her own blood ramming through her head, Tak heard the human cry, "GIR!" The shout had no effect, as Tak had slammed the thing into the ground and was clawing at it fiercely. Bits of what she thought was flesh ripped off, but in reality, it was just fabric.

The Irken's eyes narrowed when something thwacked her, hard, in the side of the head.

She growled and jumped backwards, turning to see what had attacked her. It was the human, who held a skinny tree branch up over a shoulder like a bat. Tak hissed in warning, but the other girl stood her ground. Shakily but boldly, Gaz snapped, "S-stop attacking people! You're going to get in trouble, and you'd better hope for your sake that policeman is going to live!" Tak spat angrily, but the girl just spat back, swinging the branch. "_Bad_ Tak!"

Tak gave a choked sound, a cross between a whimper and a growl, when the branch slapped across her face. She tossed around angry words in Irken, backing away from Gaz like a circus animal being threatened with a whip. Gaz gingerly scooted sideways, picking up GIR with one hand; his eyes had gone dark, and he was sparking a bit. She felt a tinge of pity and hugged the broken SIR, shooting Tak a glare. "I hope you're happy, Tak. You're lucky I feel bad for you!"

The Irken stared at her with narrowed eyes, sitting in a manner similar to a nervous cat. Gaz bit her lip. She didn't have anything to grab Tak with, no tranquilizer or real weapons. It was just dumb luck that she had come across the alien.

_I could go and hope she doesn't leave far... Or stay here and wait for her to get bored and finish off my face, along with that stupid cop. What an option._

Slowly, Gaz backed away, still facing the alien. Tak watched her, almost curiously, not making any move. Taking this as a good sign, the human took a few more quick steps back. Unfortunately for her, the Irken moved into a crawling position, tentatively moving forward. Gaz stopped in her tracks, and Tak did, too, her antennae rising a bit into a more calm position.

"...Interesting," Gaz murmured. She dared to take her eyes off Tak, glancing around. There was no change in setting that might have triggered an odd response from the alien. She looked back at the other, raising an eyebrow. Tak's head was tilted slightly to the left; Gaz copied her, cocking her head to the right, and caught a slight quiver in Tak's antennae. The girl straightened back up, mouth a thin line. "You're not a monster. I know you're not. You're just confused. Right?" Tak blinked in response, making Gaz purse her lips. "And now I'm talking to myself again, like Dib. Because you can't understand me."

Tak did nothing. Gaz hesitated, tightening her grip on GIR, and then slowly took a step toward Tak.

The Irken hissed a little, wincing back. Her orb-like eyes had strayed toward the branch Gaz was holding. Noticing this, Gaz frowned, but didn't drop it. She lowered it to her side. "Yeah, I really don't want to have to carry this around. But I don't want to get maimed again."

When Tak merely blinked, Gaz sighed, backing up again. "Okay. Never mind." She stared at Tak again before slowly turning around, wary to have her back on the Irken. When she finally did, she tensed, expecting something. But turning her head, she saw Tak still in the same spot. Gaz gave a small smile. Surely if the boys saw Tak now, they wouldn't be so determined to...

_Kill her,_ Gaz thought bitterly. She began walking forward, and sure enough, she heard the sound of Tak following through the growth. It was surprising to Gaz at first, but then just kind of sad. _She's got nowhere to go. Of course she's going to go after the most familiar thing she can._ The girl glanced back again, receiving a hiss for doing so. She returned to facing forward, a sideways frown on her lips. _I just hope she doesn't remember Zim and Mc. Sunshine..._

x-x-x-x

"Computer?"

Silence.

"Computer," Zim spat, glaring into the fuzzy PAK screen. "Stop messing around! I want a report on possible base damage!" After a few more seconds of staring at the unresponsive screen, Zim snarled, pulling it back into his PAK. "This is ridiculous! How could she have gotten out? My base is fully protected!" He rubbed his temple, sheepishly looking over at the boy currently glaring down at him.

"We have to go find Gaz," Dib demanded, arms crossed stubbornly.

Zim looked up, half mildly amused and half something else; worried, maybe, or guilty. "You doubt your sister's survival skills?" Dib glared, and Zim grimaced. "Zim does, too. Okay, which direction did the Gaz-monster go?" He glanced over Dib's shoulder, through the otherwise empty clearing. "Because if we have to scan the whole forest, we're not... getting... very..."

He trailed off, still staring behind the boy. Dib's frown increased, and he turned around to look.

"Call off the rescue party," Zim muttered.

Gaz was currently heading towards them, albeit slowly; a few steps later, they saw another shape tromping out of the cluster of trees. Dib's heart jumped into his mouth, amber eyes widening. Zim moved behind him, pulling a gun of sorts from his PAK. Quietly, Zim murmured, "This will give her a good night sleep..."

"Why aren't you shooting?" Dib snapped a few seconds later. Zim had the gun aimed, but hadn't fired. The Irken looked vaguely annoyed at the question.

"I can't. I might hit your sibling on accident! Tak is on her _heels_!"

It was true, Tak was only a foot or so behind Gaz at this point, but she stopped walking when she noticed the two males. Gaz kept going, oblivious, until she noticed Zim's gun. At that point, she ran towards them, gripping GIR in one hand and a branch in the other. "Z-Zim! Don't! There's another way, we don't have to kill her!"

Zim shoved her aside when she got too close, eyes narrowing at the sight of his inoperative SIR unit. His expression was pure rage. "She destroyed my robot! He'll take days to fix! Oh, you retched.." Zim took aim again at the stiff female Irken, who did nothing.

"Zim, I thought you said..."

"Shut up, human! It'll just make her sleepy!"

Gaz stared dumbly, then blushed the lightest bit, turning her head. Dib glared at her before nodding to Zim. The Irken frowned, taking aim, and pulled the trigger.

Tak had braced herself at the rather quiet gunshot, which wasn't the best thing to do, in her case. The dart struck her shoulder and she hissed, lunging forward to run toward their direction. Zim stumbled back, but the female made it only a few yards before she collapsed on her limbs and fell over. She struggled weakly for a few moments before giving up, eyes shutting and face stuck in an angry snarl.

"...And that is that," Zim declared proudly, cautiously making his way toward the other alien. When she gave no signs of waking, he smirked, poked her with his boot, and turned to the others. "_Now_ we can decide what to do with her. I wouldn't linger too long, however. It's only a matter of time before the humans show up again."

"I vote amputation."

"I vote not," Gaz growled, smacking her brother in the head with the branch. He rubbed his cheek, matching her glare with his own.

"Okay, so Zim is tiebreaker." Zim shifted on his feet uncomfortably, glancing from Tak to the two humans. He tried to hold their gaze but just ended up sighing, running a hand down his face in exhaustion. "My deepest apologies, Dib-monkey, but since your sibling was the one who took a beating from Tak, she should get to decide."

Gaz smiled victoriously, causing Dib's frown to turn into a scowl. "I've never seen someone so happy to be mauled. You're an idiot."

"Maybe I'm masochistic," Gaz mocked, almost cheerfully. Dib gave her a disgusted look before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning his head away.

"There's just one problem." Zim hesitated, scratching the side of his face. The two humans looked back at him expectantly, but it just made the Irken feel more uncomfortable. "Ah, see, I think our little pet Tak here, to say the least, screwed up my base. She cannot stay there while I am running repairs. And it normally takes a minimum of twenty-four hours." He wiped his forehead nervously. "So if you want your precious little freak to live, I'd consider finding her somewhere to stay.

"She can stay in our house," Gaz suggested, moving over to kneel down next to Tak. "Dad's never home, I'm _always_ home. It's win-win."

"Hell no." Dib's face was turning red with frustration. "That thing is not going to stay with us. She's more trouble than she's worth, Gaz."

"So are you," Gaz snapped. She stood up, starting to pull on Tak's arms in attempt to carry her somehow; it wasn't working very well, considering the two girls were about the same height. "She can stay in my room. It'll be like having a puppy again. Only she's less likely to mess on my school books."

"And more likely to rip off your skin."

"Dib, shut up and help me carry her." Gaz was kind of dragging the Irken across the ground. Dib groaned, unwillingly taking Tak from her and lifting the alien himself. With difficulty, he managed to get a grip on her bridal-style, which only made his red shade flare. But Gaz smiled, dropping her branch. "Dib, you're so strong..."

"Don't kiss up to me," Dib muttered. He began trudging off, talking as he did so. "The sooner Space-Boy gets home to work on his base, the sooner she can leave. I don't want to put up with your complaining."

Gaz grinned, ready to follow, but remembered the metal bundle in her arms. She handed Zim the robot. The Irken stared down at him, his expression the saddest Gaz had even seen. Carefully, she asked, "You can fix him, right?"

"Of course," Zim hissed, snapping out of his emotional state. He looked away from the robot, and traded him for the gun, which he put in the girl's hand. "In case she wakes up, or you can't handle her. Just keep her inside. Zim will fix the base as fast as Irkenly possible."

Gaz frowned sympathetically. Glancing over to make sure Dib was out of ear-range, she decided, "Fix GIR first."

"No, the Dib made it quite clear that Tak needs to be out of there soon."

"Don't mind him. What's he gonna do?" Zim looked a bit skeptical, and Gaz shook her head. "Why do you think you have to listen to him? I mean... I don't think he likes you very much."

Zim's expression hardened, and he looked away. "...I never said I liked him. Zim just finds his opinion equally as important."

"You sure listen to him more," Gaz pointed out. Zim shrugged indifferently and walked past her, cradling GIR in his arms. The girl watched as he left, her own expression softening. Irkens did have feelings. _And why shouldn't they? _She shook her head at the subconscious thought and began following after Dib, who was starting to get further into the distance. Tak couldn't possibly be a hopeless cause.

_Well, I'll find out_, Gaz thought darkly. _If I can't get her to settle down, there will be one less Irken on Earth to worry about._

_

* * *

_

_Will Gaz's vision go as planned? Will Tak behave? Will Mc. Sunshine finally loosen up? Probably not, but stay tuned to find out! xD_

**Today's Random Facts:**

. I found out it is not easy to write when blaring music is playing.

. I love you guys so much I did then when I had a head cold. T-T

. I really don't know any actual facts for you guys right now.

**Random Question of the Day:**

Tallests Red vs Purple. _Which one, in your opinion, is funnier/cooler/overall better? I think, in the series, Purple has a lot of lines that are more humorous than his counterpart's. Plus, I love his voice actor. Feel free to leave your opinion in a review or message, and have a good remaining weekend!_**  
**


	11. Welcome Home, Kind Of

_Wow. A quick update. o-o Not the most exciting chapter, but. It's getting there. Well, enjoy, and have a good December start!_

* * *

"This is a horrible idea."

"I know, Dib. You've been saying that for about a hour now."

The two siblings arrived home much later than they should have. But Dib, carrying the unconscious Irken, could not move fast with her as it was. Plus, they had to stay out of public view, going through back alleys. A couple times cars had passed by, and Dib had been forced to slip behind garbage cans or press against the sides of houses. Around dinner time they made it home, and by then it was getting dark, the moon starting to rise over the city. Food, however, was not on their top list of priorities. Maybe how not to _become_ food. Dib was convinced that Tak was going to kill them in their sleep, and he reminded his sister the entire trip.

Gaz took her house key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, stepping aside to let Dib enter. He grumbled as he passed, arms getting weak from carrying the alien for such a long distance. Clumsily, he began making his way upstairs, causing Gaz to groan. She shut and locked the door before following behind him, ready to push him up if he started tipping back. "Can you make it?"

"Don't pretend to be concerned," Dib hissed, finally reaching the top step. He stumbled a little, and when Gaz reached out to help him, he shot her an icy glare. She pulled back, frowning.

"What's your problem?"

"This!" Dib kicked open Gaz's door, and with no hesitation dropped the Irken on the purple-plush bed. He exhaled and stretched his arms. "...Thing. This is a really horrible idea. But if you're so sure, then good luck." Gaz stepped beside him, and he jabbed her in the chest roughly with a finger, amber eyes solemn. "I am not going to help you with her, Gaz. If you think you know what you're doing, great. I hope you don't get hurt. But don't cry to me when she gets loose, or worse."

Gaz stared at him quietly, expression emotionless. Dib's eyes flicked over her scarred face before he turned around to exit. At the door, he was caught off-guard by a hand that caught his arm.

"...Wait." Gaz paused warily, seeming a bit unsure. "...Thanks for bringing her here, Dib."

He stared back at her for a moment before pulling away, thoughts unreadable. "...Whatever." He stepped out, and then turned back a little. "I'm going to go pick up pizza. If there's any problems... Well. Don't let there be problems." He eyed the gun still in her hands and hurried downstairs.

Gaz waited, gazing out into the empty hall, until she heard the front door slam. Then she sighed, setting down the gun on her table and taking a seat on a desk chair, leaning back tiredly. What a long day. She desperately wanted to sleep, but the Irken was taking up her bed, and she wasn't sure what would happen when Tak woke up. Hopefully Gaz wouldn't be forced to tranquilize, because she really didn't want to hurt the other. Well, hurt her _more_.

That made Gaz sit up, and her mouth narrowed into a straight line. She forced herself to stand up and walk over to Tak. She had noticed on her way home that the Irken had green liquid stained on her shirt, and was now starting to wonder if it was blood. Maybe she could check, and help. Looming over Tak, Gaz flicked on a shelved lamp sitting above her bed. It dimly lit the dark room, letting her at least study the other.

Tak's clothing was pathetic, torn and ripped in various locations. But it was, Gaz noted, the same thing she had been wearing years ago when she had tried taking over Earth; a purple-striped shirt and black pants. Shoeless, of course, and the bottom of her feet were bruised and scarred. Tak was rolled on her side, so Gaz couldn't see the other, and hoped that there was no damage there. As far as she saw, Tak had a few wounds, including what looked like a bullet shot through a tear in her shirt. That freaked her out a little and she started thinking about wiping it up, until she dumbly realized water would hurt Irkens.

Something else caught her attention a little, and she stared at the Irken's PAK. The silver-and-pink device had what appeared to be scabs on it. Not quite scabs, Gaz decided, but it definitely looked as if the PAK had taken serious damage and had tried to heal itself. Her mouth tilted downward, and gingerly, Gaz reached out to feel the PAK's surface.

Suddenly, the utility pack whirred loudly, and Gaz stumbled back, surprised at the sudden noise. It sounded strained, like a lagging computer disk. Gaz's eyes widened as she saw one of Tak's fingers twitch, and one of the Irken's antennae quivered. The human used her desk to stand again, hand reaching for the gun, just in case. She was sure her heart stopped beating for a few seconds as she watched the waking alien, suddenly feeling sick. _I'm just now starting to think that this may not have been my brightest move._

Tak's eyes snapped open, wide and fearful.

Gaz swallowed nervously, but Tak didn't move. Her body had gone stiff with terror, not able to recognize anything around her. Cautiously, Gaz straightened up a little, moving away from the gun. "...T-Tak?"

Still no movement. Gaz tried again, a little bolder this time. "Tak? I-it's okay, you're safe now."

The Irken raised her head, making Gaz freeze. Tak blinked, dark orbs locking into Gaz's light ones. Then she turned away with a growl, twisting into a sitting position. She simply spat something in Irken, jumped off the bed and slithered underneath it, vanishing into the darkness. The human let out the breath she had been holding, putting a hand on her beating chest. At least the alien hadn't shown any major signs of hostility yet. _And let's hope it stays that way_, Gaz thought, staring down at the bed.

She couldn't see under it, and wondered if Tak would be okay in the dark space. But she soon heard smacking and something plastic crunching. Inwardly, she groaned. _Really, Tak? I hope that isn't my science binder..._ "Don't eat stuff like that," Gaz warned softly, leaning down to try and peek under the bed. All that was returned was a growl, and the girl frowned, standing back up and checking around the room. Hopefully Tak would stay there, and maybe Gaz could try and pick potentially hazardous items out from under there if the Irken fell asleep. For now, however, the human wouldn't dare sticking her hand, or any limbs, near the bed.

To pass time, Gaz seated herself at the desk again, taking out her English notebook and a mechanical pencil. Just because Tak was residing in her home now didn't change the fact that she had school work.

x-x-x-x-x

Tak had gone quiet, and about a half hour later, Gaz heard the front door opening. She glanced over into the hall before shutting her book, placing it back on the desk shelf. Cautiously, the girl stood up and stared at the bed. She knew Tak couldn't understand her, but just to ease her own mind, the girl said, "Okay, Tak. I'm going to go see Dib. You stay here, 'kay?" Gaining no response and expecting none, Gaz headed out of the room, closing the door behind her. She walked down the stairs, sliding her hand along the rail as she went, and caught Dib's back as he headed into the kitchen. Following, Gaz forced herself to greet, "Hi. How'd it go?"

"Fine," Dib muttered, shaking his head. He put a pizza box on the table, moving over to the fridge to grab something to drink. He reached over to the cabinet for two cups, and Gaz idly noticed his hair was wet.

"Is it raining?"

He snorted, but it was pretty neutral, even lightly teasing. "What gives you that idea?" He began filling one cup with cola, and moved to the next. "Yeah, it's pouring. Shame if Zim is still outside in this weather," he added thoughtfully, and almost too casually, he asked, "You think he is?"

Gaz shrugged. "Nah, he's not _that_ stupid."

"Whatever. Here, Bloaty's had a special on pepperoni." The boy sat Gaz's mug on the table and slid the box closer, opening it himself and grabbing a slice. Cheese oozed when he picked it up, and it smelled wonderful. He took a bite, leaning back against the sink counter. "Mm. Pizza is great, but let's get something new tomorrow." He took off a piece of pepperoni and ate it, watching Gaz curiously. "...Do you plan on eating, or...?"

"'M not hungry," Gaz muttered, picking up her cup and taking a sip. Dib's eyes narrowed.

"You've been acting really weird for a few weeks now. Are you having some sort of long-term PMS problem?"

"You're being dramatic."

"No, really." Dib's mouth formed a sideways line. "It started when you became more quiet than usual. Then your appetite changed. A while later, you started hanging out with Space Boy, and now you're housing our dear psycho Tak." He paused, and then looked up, like he could stare through the ceiling. "Speaking of which, how is the little freak?"

"She's hiding under my bed," Gaz answered, happy to change the subject.

"What a creep. It sounds like some stupid cheesy horror movie. The monster under your bed, and she even had the courtesy to do it on a dark, stormy night." Dib finished his pizza slice and set down the crust, reaching for another. "You're making me nervous. Can't you just eat _something_?"

Gaz sighed and took her brother's unwanted crust. She nibbled on it silently, staring out the window. After a moment, she decided to ask, "Hey, do you think you could help me move some stuff into the attic? Or maybe dad's room, since he doesn't use it anymore?" At Dib's puzzled stare, she explained, "In case Tak decides to explore the room, I have some things I'd rather not have torn up."

"Oh, sure." Dib gave a small smile, which Gaz was sure she hadn't seen in a long time. "If you want, you can keep some things in my room until she's gone. I've got plenty of room."

"I thought you weren't going to help me at all," Gaz retorted, though she returned his smile with her own mocking one.

Dib smirked. "I lie a lot. And if I remember correctly, I said I wasn't going to help you with_ her_. I'm not helping with _her_, I'm helping your _stuff_."

"Okay. Thanks." Gaz patiently waited for the other to finish, setting down the remaining half of her crust and making Dib frown again. When he was done eating, the two headed up the stairs, Gaz trailing behind her sibling with high hopes. Maybe Dib wasn't ready to go along with Tak yet, but Gaz was sure that he wouldn't completely abandon his sister if she needed help. After all, through their entire childhood, he had never given up on her, even back when she had tried to make it quite clear that she did not want him around for anything.

_Back in the good old days_, Gaz recalled acridly.

"...Gaz?"

The girl snapped out of her thoughts, glancing over to Dib. He was staring into her open room, hand still on the doorknob.

"I think it's a little late."

"For what?" The girl frowned and turned to follow his gaze.

Well, Dib was right. There wasn't much point in moving things out anymore.

The room was trashed. Blank papers that had been left by Gaz's printer had been littered around, torn into scraps. Dolls from the shelved were ripped and strewn around with cotton guts spread around the floor. Gaz's bed had been maimed, the blankets ripped and pillows sliced open. Tak must have been under the bed again, because not only was a trail of shredded plush leading there, but the faint sounds of teeth scraping on something solid could be heard. Gaz's mouth opened in a silent cry, and she covered her lips, staring in shock at was once a comfortable living space. Dib gave her a pitiful, even apologetic look.

"...I think she has separation anxiety."

"..._Shit_!" Gaz was still in a horrified daze, hands lifting to pull at her own hair. "My room! My crap!"

"That's what I use to feel like when Zim rampaged through my room," Dib said, not as sympathetic as Gaz would have liked. "Which is why I don't keep things in there anymore. Well, no use cleaning up, then. She'll just keep doing that." Dib clapped his sister on the back, who was still too surprised to move. "Ah well. Next time, get a puppy."

Gaz broke out of her trance when Dib walked back into the hall, spinning around with a lethally angry glare on her face. "You insensitive jerk!" She picked up a random object off the floor- which looked kind of like it use to be a book- and chucked it at his retreating form. He snickered and turned the corner to hide in his own room, slamming his door shut. Gaz grabbed another item and threw it violently at her wall to get some rage out. She heard a hiss from Tak, and hissed back, slamming her door shut. "This is just great. Thanks, Tak. I'm so glad you had fun ruining my lair. And my chance to get Dib on your side."

The girl furiously plopped down on her bed and held her face in her hands, not caring if Tak got upset or not. She half expected to feel claws lashing at her feet, or at least to hear angry growls, but did not receive such treatment. Instead, all she heard was a funny sound. Almost like a suction cup being pulled off a wall. Scowling, Gaz pulled her legs up and got into a laying position so she could peek her head down under the bed.

She could see purple eyes standing out, visible from the glint of light slipping into the dark space. Then they closed, and the sounds started up again. It took a moment for Gaz to realize what she was hearing, and when she did, she grimaced. She ran a hand down her face in frustration. "You moron. You're not suppose to eat cotton!"

A sickening choke let Gaz know that the doll stuffing had been vomited up. She sighed. At least Tak would not get it lodged in her throat. The human shifted on the mess of a bed, laying on her back and setting her head on what use to be a pillow. Feathery fluff went airborne when she put her head down. Tak went quiet for a moment before she began chewing on something plastic once more, of which Gaz assumed was either a button or something from her desk.

_Maybe I should try a squirt bottle. Or get a new poking stick, _Gaz's mind hummed in amusement. The girl shut her eyes, listening to Tak's anxious gnawing. _I have to find some way to deal with her so Dib will be more comfortable._

With wild ideas and crazy thoughts, the girl drifted into a dreamless sleep.

_What am I going to do if she's still here when I have to go back to school?_

_

* * *

_

_Gaz is conflicted. Oh noes! Be prepared for some Zim in the next chapter. c:_

**Today's Facts** _will be skipped, because I really don't have any._

**Question of the Day:**

Replacement. _If you could take any Nickelodeon show off the air and replace it with IZ, which one would you choose? Basically, which Nick show is your least favorite? xP I think a lot of the new shows are pointless, like that Fanboy/Chum Chum one or stuff like iCarly and other live shows. What do you think? Feel free to answer past questions as well as this one, and have a great day~! Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank my reviewers, because you guys make me smile at times when I need some lightening up!_**  
**


	12. The Sleepover

_An update is your present! =D I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful holiday! There's been a confusion with my reviewing, so anyone who hasn't gotten a response, I apologize. I will try to be quicker and more organized with that! Enjoy, as always!_

* * *

Gaz woke up to the sound of cursing and shattering glass.

The girl sat upright, blinking and letting her amber eyes focus to the dimly lit room around her. She glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight, and to her surprise, she was still in one piece. The girl could hear the recognizable voice of Dib shouting and things hitting the floor from across the hall, so she sighed, swinging her legs over the bed and standing up. Her heart stopped, almost forgetting about the Irken who had been under her bed; she tensed, expecting to have her legs clawed raw, but that didn't happen. Shrugging it off, the girl walked over to peek her head out of the room.

She was just in time to hear a furious scream of, "GAZ!"

The girl frowned, displaying her usual scowl. She wandered down the hall and into Dib's room, where she stopped at the door frame to see an odd sight.

Dib was attempting to wrestle something out of Tak's mouth like she was a dog who'd just swallowed a wedding ring. They almost looked like they were playing tug-of-war, Tak snarling and pulling her head back and Dib trying to grab at whatever it was she had taken. When the boy saw Gaz, he glared, letting his arms fall. Victorious, Tak chattered and slipped under his bed, roughly shoving out boxes and blankets that had been stored under there.

Gaz must have been smiling, because the next thing she knew, Dib had pulled her in by her arm violently and was towering over her with a look of pure irritation. "Get her _out_," he hissed threateningly, snapping a finger toward his desk. It didn't look much better than Gaz's. Paranormal files that had been stored in the drawers now were ripped and tossed around, and his computer monitor had a large crack in the screen. Gaz grimaced, but Dib's expression didn't change. "Do you hear me?"

"I-I can't control her," Gaz sputtered, taken aback by her brother's harsh tone. She tugged her arm out of Dib's grip, gaining the courage to shove him back roughly with both hands. "Besides, it's not her fault. She's just confused and stupid. Like you."

Dib's fist clenched, and he almost looked like he was ready to punch the girl across the face. But he slowly flexed his fingers and turned around, stomping over to his closet to grab out a backpack. Gaz watched him stuff in his laptop and some books with genuine interest. When he reached for his iPod, she decided to ask, "What are you doing?"

"Leaving," he snapped, zipping the pack shut and throwing it over his shoulder. He grabbed a blanket and passed Gaz, bumping her aside carelessly. The girl glanced at his bed, where she heard Tak scratching on something, and decided to follow Dib, shutting his room door.

"Where do you think you're gonna go?" Gaz kept her voice casual as she stalked Dib down the stairs, skipping the last step and following him to the kitchen. He was tossing a bottle of water and some fruit into his backpack. Gaz watched him with a look of false amusement, leaning against the wall. "Not to dad's lab, I hope. He'd think you're even crazier than you are if you told him you can't sleep because an alien is keeping you up." Dib ignored her, rushing out of the kitchen and grabbing his coat off of the sofa. Gaz's eyebrows pinched together painfully, muscles still not fully healed from their previous maiming. "You're really leaving?"

"Yep," Dib sneered, opening the door. He stepped outside and glanced back at the girl once, eyes considerably softer. "I'd like your limbs to be in the same locations when I get back, okay?"

Gaz didn't respond. The boy pursed his lips and stepped further into the light rain, shutting the door behind him. After the door clicked shut, Gaz rubbed her forehead tiredly and went over to plop on the couch. She sighed when her body sank into the plush, laying on her side and staring at the blank television. She debated about turning it on, and her eyes swept over to the side-table, noticing another pair of eyes staring at her from the bottom of the stairs.

A curious Tak had poked her head around the corner, violet eyes staring into Gaz's. The girl just frowned, sitting up. "How'd you get out of..." She trailed off, realizing Tak wouldn't be able to answer her. "...Never mind."

The Irken's antennae perked at her voice, but otherwise Tak showed no signs of understanding the girl. Slowly, the alien picked her way across the room like a nervous cat. Gaz hadn't been able to fully see Tak in light before. She really did look like a mess. The human watched Tak stare at her and sit down a few feet away, eyes as emotionless as her face. Gaz turned her head, trying not to feel uncomfortable under the other's stare. Nonchalantly, the girl picked up the remote and clicked on the TV.

On at the time was some type of nature film, but Gaz was too exhausted to change it. She lounged back, closing her eyes. In what seemed like only a moment, she opened them again, heart stopping to find Tak sitting beside her.

The Irken growled under her breath, but curled up in a fetal position, the back of her head barely touching Gaz's knee. The human dared to breathe again and slowly moved her arm, gently resting it on Tak's shoulder.

Tak grumbled and dug her talons into the couch, but didn't do much more. That made Gaz smile. She let herself drift back asleep, her last thoughts being about her brother and Tak.

x-x-x-x-x

_I really didn't think this through._

Dib blinked the rain out of his eyes, having enough trouble seeing with his foggy glasses. When he had left the house there had been only a light drizzle, but the rain was picking up, and he had half a mind of where he was. Not the brightest move, he had been telling himself. His brain was telling him to turn back and sleep in his warm bed, but his pride argued with that idea. As for his body, as aching as it was, it almost seemed to have a mind of its own. He was subconsciously walking to a set location, even though his mind had not yet registered where.

In other words, he did not realize where he was going until he was standing at the fence.

_He'll never let me in._

Tired and wet, the boy hung his head and trudged into the yard, the bottoms of his pajama pants soaked and ripped. He had forgotten to change into something publicly wearable, which was embarrassing enough. But this was just going to be humiliating. What else could he do?

Taking a deep breath, the boy raised his hand, hesitated, and knocked on the door.

Silence. After a few moments, he pounded again, harder and impatiently. To his surprise, from behind the door, there was a very close shout of, "What could you possibly want at this hour, Dib-snot?"

It took Dib a second to find his voice. When he did, it was hoarse and defeated. "...Can I come in?"

"Can you _come in_?" Zim's own voice did not sound as sarcastic or disgusted as Dib expected. If anything, he sounded just as tired as the human, even a little puzzled himself. He went quiet, and Dib figured he was waiting for the boy to respond. Dib wasn't sure how to. With a sigh so large it was audible through the door and over the rain, Zim unlocked and opened his base door.

He was undisguised, his face a sleepy scowl. From what little light there was, Dib was able to make out that the alien was, too, wearing a pair of pajamas, striped with a small Irken logo on the front of the shirt. Catching Dib staring at his outfit, the Irken snapped, "What?"

"That's adorable," the boy responded, the corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk. Zim rolled his eyes and tried shutting the door, but Dib caught it with his foot. "Hey, I was just teasing. So can I come in?"

"For what? Why? How long?"

"Well, I'm not here for your charming personality, that's for sure." Dib grinned, but it was quickly replaced by a line. "Look, it's cold, I'm tired, and I can't sleep at home because that _thing_ keeps waking me up."

"They have medication that can help you with that."

"I mean _Tak_," Dib spat, instantly regretting the harsh tone when it left his mouth. Forcing himself to remain steady, he continued, "It's your fault she's at my place. So I'm making us even by inviting myself to stay here."

Zim rolled his eyes and stepped back to let the human in. Dib hurried inside, dripping rainwater in a pool behind him and making Zim cringe. The alien closed the door, shivering. "Ugh. I hate this filthy planet." Keeping a distance from the wet human, he passed Dib, eying him suspiciously. He stopped to point at the sofa. "You will stay in this room and do nothing but sleep. If Zim catches you anywhere but that... resting... bed thing, he will..." Zim crossed his arms, trying to think of a good enough threat. "...I don't know. Cut your ears off."

Dib smiled innocently and held his arms back, ready to throw his slopping wet blanket over the sofa. Zim's antennae visibly quivered and he ran in front of the boy to intercept it. "Ah, no, human. You are going to mold my sofa. Dry off first."

The boy stared at him dumbly. Then, mockingly, Dib said, "Sure. Right on that. I'm so hot I'll evaporate this water right off."

"Don't flatter yourself," Zim snorted, and he turned around and started walking toward the 'kitchen'. "Wait there. Don't move."

Dib saluted and dropped the dripping blanket. His eyes trailed over the room. Besides the rain outside, he could hear the sounds of machines grinding through the walls, but it wasn't an unpleasant noise. Almost comforting. He stared at the fading magenta wallpaper. The room felt big, being so empty. There was a rug in the middle of the floor, and a television across from the sofa, but not much else. A lamp stood lifelessly to the side of the couch, a small table placed on the other. The picture of whatever animal once hung on the wall was replaced with some type of shapeless artwork that looked like it had been painted by alien Picasso.

When Zim came back, Dib was still staring at the painting and trying to figure out what it was. The Irken cleared his throat and Dib spun around, looking alert. "What!"

"...I have brought you dry things, Dib-worm." He walked to the couch to spread out a dry blanket. Then he held out something that had been draped over his shoulder. "Here. Now go to sleep."

Dib blinked and took the gift, realizing it was a sleeping shirt and pants not unlike the ones Zim was wearing, red but without stripes. "Whoo. I always love getting clothes as a present."

"Shut up. Zim doesn't want you dripping all over his floor." From his PAK, Zim took out a towel-like cloth and threw it down, wiping up the water with his foot. For the first time, Dib noticed that the Irken wasn't wearing gloves or boots, revealing his green claws. "Filthy. Ugh. Just throw your acidic body coverings in here."

"In what?"

Zim irritably pounded the side of his fist against the base. A chute opened up in the wall, no bigger than GIR's head. Dib was slightly amused. "I didn't know Irkens had laundry days."

"Newsflash, kiddo. Zim likes to be _clean_." He got on his hands and knees and started wiping at the ground fiercely, the Irken towel doing a good job of soaking in the water.

Dib shrugged and tugged off his wet nightshirt, shoving it down the chute. He heard Zim give a choke of some sort, probably disgust or annoyance, and he looked down at the alien. An eyebrow raised, he gave a pursed smile and picked up the new alien shirt. "What? You did tell me to put the wet clothes down there, right?"

Dib knew Zim didn't have a nose, but he could imagine it pinching right now. Zim shook his head and went back to work. "Just hurry and get dressed. Stop flashing Zim. It's completely inappropriate for this situation."

"No, I think it's very appropriate." Dib slipped on the shirt and found it to be much too short, barely going past his navel. "Besides," he added, starting on his pants. "No one said you had to look."

"I can't really help it when your ass is practically in my _face_," Zim snapped, face turning a noticeable shade of indigo blue. He dipped his head back down, glaring at the rag as Dib pulled up his dry pair of pants and threw his old ones down the chute.

"...Uh."

"What now?" Zim glared up, only to cover his eyes with a rather loud smack. The pajama pants were a bit too tight for Dib, something that the human looked much too comfortable with. "Oh Irk," Zim muttered, shaking his head again and going back to scrubbing. "Out of all the humans Zim could have been stuck with..."

"Now if only these were pink," Dib whistled, attempting to stretch out his outfit. "A v-neck and short-shorts. Maybe I could get a tan. Dye my hair flaming orange. We can work this out."

"Thank you, human, for that beautiful mental picture."

"The pleasure is all mine."

Dib fell back on the couch. He quietly watched Zim work, toying with a strand of damp hair that had fallen over his eyes. After a few minutes, the Irken sat up on his knees, staring around at the floor with a content grunt. "That should be good." He stood up and slid the towel down the chute, making it close back into the wall once he did so.

The human smiled. "You missed a spot."

Zim whipped his head toward the ground and then scowled at the boy. "So funny. I'm having a riot on the inside."

"I know. I make myself feel that way, too."

Sticking out his lower jaw, Zim started walking toward the room's hidden elevator. Dib frowned, sitting upright. "You're leaving me here?"

Zim turned his head, eyes narrowed. "...Yes..."

"Oh."

The Irken faced back around, hands on his hips. "Why? Is the Dib-thing lonely?"

"Yeah, actually," Dib chirped. "I'm not really tired anymore. Can't we just watch TV or something?"

Zim stared at him, eyes trying to detect any sarcasm or other stupid hidden jokes. Finding none, he answered simply, "No."

"Why not?" Dib gave a fake pout, resting his hands on his lap. "You're nice enough to let me stay and give me something to wear, but you won't even sit and watch TV with me for an hour?"

"What will you do if I don't?"

Dib shrugged. "Roam around your base. Drink chemicals. Make prank calls from your phone. Take pictures of you when you're sleeping and put them on my wall." He pursed his lips. "...My Facebook wall, of course."

Zim continued to stare, one antennae twitching. Finally, he groaned, giving in. He walked over to the couch, shaking his head in disbelief as he did so. Maybe the world was going insane.

"Scoot over. And for the love of Irk, _pull that shirt down_!"

* * *

_Looks like Zimmy and Dibbers may be progressing! And Gaz and Tak, too! Be prepared for an epic amount of talking in the next chapter- but it's the boys, so you can't go wrong._

**Today's Question of the Day:**

Location, location! _If you could go to any one location in the IZ world, where would you go? Personally, I'd love to cruise on the Massive and eat donuts with Red and Purple__! Leave your answer in a review or message if you so wish, and have a happy holiday~!_**  
**


	13. Mission Accomplished?

_Baaah, this crummy chapter took way longer than it should have ;o; Between busy school and getting sick several times... writing this with a pounding headache... fun fun! Oh well. Had to get it written up sometime. (Plus, I'm already working on the next chapter; score! ^^)_

_Anyhow, prepare for a lot of talking. And ZaDr fans might be a little happier at the tiny bit on the end here. Prepare yourself, you're about to get a lot of info in a short amount of words! xD_

_Oooh, and also, thanks and loves to my friend, Sugar (I'll put up her pen-name later if she lets me :U)__. She helps me quite frequently with ideas and she's tons of fun to chat with. You go Sug! =D_

_...Yea. So, enjoy!  
_

* * *

"I hate this show."

Zim's magenta orbs narrowed, straying from the television to give the human beside him a slightly puzzled, somewhat curious look. They hadn't spoken in several minutes, the two boys stuck in a sort of awkward silence. Now that the quiet had been broken, Dib looked slightly flushed, as if he'd been caught doing something embarrassing. It was a rather new expression Zim had not witnessed before. The human pushed up his glasses, staring down at his feet. In the end, Zim chose to ignore the shy behavior, instead just asking, "Well, why'd you turn it on then?"

The other kind of raised his shoulders with no real answer, shifting on the couch uncomfortably. Zim turned away when Dib's borrowed shirt rose up somewhat. Dib, who didn't notice, merely reached over for his backpack. He shuffled through the largest compartment as he responded, "Dunno. Nothing else on TV this late. Apple?"

"Pardon?" The Irken glanced back to find the boy offering out a green fruit. He eyed it warily. "Is it sweet?"

"No. I don't think so." Dib frowned. As if it answered the question, he pointed at the fruit with his other hand and observed, "It's green."

"I see that." Zim smiled, the sarcasm almost dripping off his tongue. "Good job. You might be able to match up to a newly-hatched smeet's intelligence."

"I didn't... look, green apples are usually sour."

"Oh." Zim made a disgusted face. "No, then. Zim does not like... so-war things. They burn his tongue."

Dib rolled his eyes, dropping the apple back into his backpack. "Thank you, captain obvious."

"Very welcome." Zim gave the most overly-sweet smile he could muster and went back to staring at the TV screen. Honestly, he had no idea what was going on. As far as he could tell, the girl was upset with her boyfriend. It was gushy and dramatic, and even the alien thought that the acting was horrid. When the female came on the screen with teary eyes, Zim snickered, causing Dib to look over again with mild interest. Feeling his gaze, the alien turned his head, too. "What?"

Dib shrugged. "Just questioning your sense of humor."

"It amuses me, yes. To a point." The Irken tapped his bare claws together, focusing back on the show, where the humans were now screaming at each other. Thoughtfully, Zim explained, "The female of your species is often portrayed as the lovesick, dependent one. She always has to rely on her dashing mate to save the day." He grimaced. "Also, the female protagonist usually has a very large chest."

Dib laughed slightly at that. "Well, it attracts and audience. Most guys would only watch the show because of the girl's rack." He studied the screen before pointing out, "And they make the guy attractive and romantic for their watchers that are female. So it's a win for everyone. Too bad the story sucks."

"Yea," Zim agreed, though he really wasn't even sure what the plot was.

Dib paused for a moment before giving Zim another sideways glance. Time to break the tension. "So, err, do Irkens have stereotypes, too?"

"Stereo types?" Zim scowled. "Zim has no stereo."

"No, genius, like... never mind." He sighed.

Zim, however, just barked a laugh and leaned back. "Zim's not that dumb, Dib. Yes, we have stereotypes." He tipped his head. "For example, Irkens in general are known to be aggressive and territorial. Can you believe it?"

"As a matter of fact, I think I can."

"Psh." Zim waved a hand dismissively. "Well, maybe Zim relates a little. But actually, female Irkens are said to be the more violent of our species. You've seen Tak at her worst." The alien frowned. "Though I'm sure that any Irken with PAK problems could act in such a manor, it all depends on their defect. It's not very often heard of."

"No?" Dib wasn't quite sure he wanted to stress on the matter, but he ended up continuing anyway. "Why not?"

"Well, defects are usually wiped out instantly in our society." The male's voice went a little bitter. "To keep order."

"...That's horrible," the boy murmured, avoiding Zim's gaze. The Irken just shrugged.

"I suppose. But humans aren't much better."

"We're not." The boy's agreement sounded honest and just as equally upset. There was a pause before Dib decided to switch the topic. "Well, what exactly went wrong with Tak's PAK in the first place?"

"Dunno." Zim shook his head. "I'd have to do a close examination. And, honestly, not so sure how that would work out right now. She'd have to be heavily sedated, first of all, and second, my base is still in repair."

Dib blinked. "Why's that?"

"When she escaped last time, she destroyed the computer's brain unit." He sniffed, pretending not to care much, though his expression showed a bit of anxiety. "Zim hasn't bothered to install a new brain yet."

"Why?"

The alien waved a hand. "Curious stinking human. Or, perhaps, simply nosy! Many reasons. Zim's only got one remaining brain in storage, which he's keeping for a real emergency. It will take a long time to build another, and a lot of energy that I just don't posses at the time. Especially since, well, I don't have the computer to help me much without it's own brain." He scowled, magenta orbs glazing over thoughtfully. "Well, I mean, sure, my PAK can command parts of the base if I need it, but manual controls are so draining. Opening communication lines, using tools, sure, can do that. But defense systems and keeping the laboratory under control, not so much..."

He trailed off, one antennae raised while the other lowered against his head. Dib scratched his neck, watching Zim's reaction curiously. "Well, can't you order one from, say, a giant alien Wal-Mart or something?" His mouth straightened out in a flat line. He wasn't sure why he was trying to encourage the Irken. Sure, Zim hadn't tried anything hostile in a while, but Dib wasn't ready to let his guard down.

"Alien Wal-Mart?" Zim scoffed, expression looking almost offended, but his vocal tone was clearly amused. "Well, of course there are factories one could order a new base brain from. But..." Zim leaned back against the couch, rubbing his head as if to get rid of an ache. "...Zim doesn't have those kinds of monies to spare right now."

Dib stared at the other curiously. He'd never thought of a bankrupt alien before, let alone Zim being said alien. Knowing it was probably rude and that he would most likely not receive and answer by pressing on the issue, the human turned his head back to the TV. "...Oh. Uh. I'm sorry. About that."

"Eh," Zim sighed, shrugging a bit. "Zim can manage on his own. But that's not the point." Aware of Dib's silent question, the Irken continued, "My Tallest recently decided that Zim's mission has lasted much too long. They've cut my funding, so to say, and want to throw me into a new profession." He shrunk lower against the sofa. "Probably back into the fast food business."

"...What?"

Dib's breath got caught in his throat. Years of stopping, foiling, screwing up Zim's plans. All for it to end in this bizarre and awkward moment? It was unbelievable! And the fact that Zim was actually _telling_ him this completely blew the boy's mind.

And, for some peculiar reason, Dib felt almost disappointed.

"So... you're just... leaving, then?" Dib's voice was even and emotionless, but caused Zim to snort.

"Bet you'd like that, wouldn't you, Dib-thing?" Zim stared glumly at his bare feet, which only consisted of two clawed toes. "Zim probably would like that, too. But the Voot's battery is wasted, and there isn't a station for it anywhere in this solar system."

"Is it... fixable?" Dib found himself tapping his fingers on his leg, a nervous habit. He wasn't sure the response he heard was one he liked.

"Sure, I guess. It'll take a while, of course. Zim might even have parts in storage, but going through that mess will take a bit of time, anyhow."

The unnerving hush returned. Zim gazed off at the television, glossy orbs showing deep thought and concentration. Dib, on the other hand, was trying to stop himself from thinking too much, concerned he would say something stupid. Finally, he broke down and murmured, "How long have you known?"

"Known what? That I'd be trapped on this Irk-forsaken mud-pit?" He tapped his fingertips together before admitting, "Only about twenty-four hours. Which is likely why Zim is still in a stage of denial. Although the Tallests have been complaining for several weeks." He exhaled slowly. "When the Gaz-monster was here, she did a kindness and pretended to be Zim's slave. Didn't do much of a job, though it wasn't really her fault to begin with. The Tallests are convinced I was making alliances... which I suppose is true." His eyes darkened. "They've been waiting to catch Zim doing something against Invader code for a long time. Now that they've got proof, they're going to strip me from my ranks. Or worse."

"Why go back, then?" Dib's brows tilted up in a sympathetic gesture. "Don't you have anywhere else you could go?"

"Not really. Either you're functionally working for the empire or you're an enemy." He sniffed. "And if you're an enemy, you're good as dead."

Dib did not respond to that. He had nothing to say. He just watched the movie blindly for a while, looking a bit spacey. Zim followed his gaze with no real interest, a bit nervous about how Dib would take the situation. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? For Earth to be untouched by the armada's wrath. For the crummy human race to continue thriving. For Zim to possibly even leave the boy's twisted life for good.

Something inside the invader stung painfully. He physically grimaced, clutching his stomach at the sickened feeling. He was sure it was purely thought-educed. But why did it feel so bad? He closed his eyes, trying to ignore this foreign symptom. Attempting to think of something else, anything else was a dreadfully pitiful attempt, and he wasn't even sure which thought had caused it in the first place. The Tallests only filled him with dread and anxiety about what was to become of him, and he was fully aware that this incident was not going to pass lightly by their eyes.

Tak, that horrible monster, shot a flash of rage through the male Irken and made his spine tingle.

Gaz, the poor hapless girl, she had no idea what she was doing half the time. If she made just one more tiny slip, Tak would rip her apart. Just like the Tallests had done to Zim's mind.

_Why should Zim care? Why does he care about anything?_ Zim's face scrunched into a scowl, eyes squeezing shut. _It shouldn't matter to me what happens to that stinking human and her little pet. I've got my own problems to deal with. I don't need to concern myself with them. I don't. I don't care anymore. I don't care about Gaz or Tak. I don't even care about the Tallest. And I especially don't care about..._

"Z-Zim? Are you okay?"

Magenta orbs wide open once more, Zim found himself staring straight into Dib's troubled amber ones. They sparked with emotion under the dull cover of thick lenses. The human had moved in front of the Irken, kneeling down with his fingers digging into Zim's arms roughly. Snapping to his senses, Zim pulled his arms away, but Dib remained where he was. The Irken gripped the couch's cushion and snapped, "What are you blabbering about?"

"...I was trying to talk to you." Dib looked a bit irritated. "You weren't responding, and you looked like you were either hurt or constipated. I figured it was more likely you were in pain, but you wouldn't answer me." His eyes narrowed, studying the Irken's face for any signs of illness. "...Are you feeling okay?"

"I was just thinking." Dib was a bit too close for Zim's comfort, but the alien didn't mention it. Instead, he took the opportunity to flick Dib on the nose while growling, "What? Ever hear of doing that before? 'Thinking'?"

"Oh, shut up. That was totally not normal." Dib smacked the other's hand away, growing more agitated by the second. Leaning in a bit closer, he demanded, "Seriously, I've never seen you do that. What's going on? Are you plotting something?"

Dib might have been getting a bit bothered, but at that last question, Zim went from puzzled to downright fuming. Tossing his hands in the air, the Irken hissed, "Zim just told you one of his biggest, most private secrets! Told _you_! Out of everyone! And you think I'm _plotting_ something?" He reached up and pulled on his antennae, much like the way a very distressed human might pull on their hair. "Ugh! You're such a pain!"

"Well, then we have something in common!" Dib retorted. "You're the biggest pain in the ass ever known to mankind, you know that?" He kind of laughed, but it was tired and cruel. "If you hate me so much, why do you put up with me?"

"I could ask you the same question!" Zim glowered, dipping his head down. After a pause, he softly added, "And 'hate' is a strong word."

"What word would you rather use, then?" Dib's usual crooked smile was tilted reflectively into a frown. Zim didn't look up to notice it, lips pursed and orbs staring down. When he realized he was gaining no response, Dib gestured his hands out and suggested, "Dislike? Loathe? Detest? Despise? Help me out here!"

Zim winced as each of the words were tossed around in his head. There was an edgy undertone to Dib's cold speech, like he was desperately trying but failing to keep himself under control. With no answer, the boy snapped, grabbing Zim's shoulders to shake the Irken a bit. "Zim! Just answer me already! You're being completely-"

The sentence slipped away from a shocked Dib, who found Zim's lips gently pressed over his own. He made a choked noise of surprise and fell backwards onto his rear, staring at the alien in horror. Zim had leaned forward tentatively, just as expressionless as he had been before. At Dib's reaction, however, he flinched backward, antennae quivering.

When Dib finally found his voice again, the human glared and squeaked, "W-what was that? Do you _know_ what you just did?"

Zim's face darkened slightly. "W-well, you were y-yelling at me and I wanted you to s-stop..."

"So you _kissed_ me?" Dib flooded with color, shakily rising to a standing position. "In what situation would that actually be _okay_? You're disgusting!"

"N-no, I just figured it might c-calm you down!" Zim rubbed his hands together, not quite sure about what he'd just done. "I-it worked for the angry shouting female on the TV! Zim thought t-that maybe it was a-a gesture of a-apology."

Dib's eyes hardened. Something about the way Zim spoke didn't leave him fully convinced. But the Irken looked innocent and scared enough that Dib just turned his head, giving Zim a wary sideways glance. "...For your sake and mine, I hope you're serious. I feel bad for you, so... I'm just... going to forget it." His head hung tiredly, face salmon pink. "Just... don't do that. Ever again." He crossed his arms. "It's not something guys do when they're fighting."

"Yea. I... I think I just figured that out." Zim stared down, blushing features darker than Dib had seen before. The alien didn't hesitate to stand up, avoiding accidental eye contact with the boy, and walk off toward the hidden elevator in the corner of the room. Monotonously, he directed, "Just... don't cause any more problems with Zim. Stay put. There. Night." He turned to glance back just slightly before stepping on the platform, slipping a PAK cord out to connect with the wall. After a small spark, it retracted, and the lift slowly began descending.

Dib turned his head away, pushing up his glasses staidly with an index finger. Before the tips of Zim's antennae vanished from view, Dib looked over and lightly murmured, "You're a moron."

There was no response.

Alone in the darkened room, the boy stood for a few moments before sitting back down, listening to the bits and pieces of conversation quietly emitting from the television. Whatever minuscule strands of plot-line the show had contained was lost in the human's stream of consciousness. With a small sigh of exhaustion, Dib stretched out on the sofa, flipping around to bury his face in the back cushions.

_Congratulations, Dib. You've managed to encourage yet another hopelessly awkward situation._

_

* * *

_

_..What just happened? ;o I'm not even sure. Geez Dib, we were counting on you to do something heroic and manly in that little tight bedsuit of yours..._

_I have no idea where I'm trailing to |D So err. Now you know Zim's troubles. I figure him being dissed and spat at by the Tallest (ie, having his mission told was a lie) is a bit overused. Epic, but used a lot. I figure that they could weasel out of telling him somehow. Hence, this. And minor little ZaDrness fluffy crap there, I guess. Hopefully more to come. Prepare for the girls in the next chapter!_

**Random Facts:**

_. 80 bucks for a Tallest Purple figure is ridiculous. _

_. ...I just got an 80 buck Tallest Purple figure for my collection. |:C_

._ Uhm.. I don't like ZaGr very much. I think I might have mentioned I like it before.. but I'm not a fan |P So for anyone who might be concerned SV is ZaGr-ish at all... you're deliciously wrong. 8D_

_. I really don't read much on this site. =C I think I'll start reading some stories from you reviewers, since you take the time to read mine. I really appreciate you guys! ~insert hearts here~_**  
**

**Super Awesome Question of the Day:**

Favorite Quote? _I can't believe I haven't asked this yet. Well, quotes, anyone? Bwahaha, I personally like in _Vindicated! _when Dib gets all irritated and he's like. "ZIM. You MORON!" Yeeaa. Well, please do feel free to share in a review or message! Loves to you all!_**  
**


	14. Early Bird

_I've only had this sitting around, three-fourths done, for oh... what, two months now? |D Oh well. Hopefully some excitement will pick up here in the next chapter or so._

* * *

Dib woke up to a pair of large, violet orbs staring back at him.

The boy yelped in shock and scrambled into a sitting position, sliding against the side of the couch and forcing the mass on his chest to tumble away. A hand flew back to the nightstand, fumbling for his glasses. All he could see was a green form rolling off the sofa with a thud and slithering off. Hastily pushing the spectacles up to his face, Dib was just in time to catch a glimpse of none other than Tak's retreating form wander off into the other room. The Irken was chattering in disapproval as she wandered off, almost unimpressed with the human's reaction. Dib merely groaned, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

_What a wake-up call. Ugh. If Tak's here, that can't be good news. _He leaned forward, dipping down his thumping head. _Then again, she's still alive, so it can't be too bad._

Warily, the boy got to his feet. The living room was dark, blinds shut, but light flooded in from the kitchen area. Apart from the audible tapping of rain from outside, Dib heard voices, and even a bit of what sounded like music. He crept his way across the area and into the apparently more lively room.

Dib was somewhat surprised to find his own sister sitting at the rounded dining table, plate in front of her stacked with peculiar-smelling waffles. Besides the stack sat GIR, undisguised and shoveling bacon and toast into his metallic mouth with loud dramatized slurping sounds. The music was coming from a small radio plugged in over on the counter, one he recognized from Gaz's desk back home, and it was tuned in to some rock station that the girl favored. Stepping into the warm and inviting room, he saw Gaz glance up. Even with her scarred face, her eyes seemed much brighter than usual, honey rather than an icy amber.

"About time! I was gonna wake you up, but I figured you could really use some beauty sleep."

She smirked, and Dib responded with a sheepish smile. "If you keep picking at your scabs, you're going to end up as the one who needs it more than I do."

He half expected the girl to throw something at him, or at least shoot a glare, but she just rolled her eyes. It was pretty true, after all. Dib was pretty sure it was a nervous habit, because through the night, the girl seemed to have picked at her face quite a bit. Some of the gashes looked like they'd recently bled and were healing over again. Feeling his stare, Gaz flushed a little and poked at her waffles with a fork. "I can't help it. At least I'm not slitting my wrists."

"Yet." Dib gave a little smile, if not only for his sibling's rare average attitude. "So, who did you kill to make you this happy?"

Gaz snorted. She stabbed a waffle with the fork and picked it up, letting it splat right on the ground beside her with oozing syrup. Dib watched her, eyebrows raised curiously, until he saw Tak's clawed hand reach out from under the table and snatch the food. Loud chewing noises followed. Was it his own eyes, or did Tak suddenly have black sleeves? Black, worn-out trench coat sleeves? Gaz just smiled, nibbling on her own piece with not much interest. Shaking his head and trying to ignore the fact that Tak was wearing _his_ coat, Dib took a seat, cautiously keeping his feet away from the seemingly hungry alien.

"So... what's up?" Dib rested an arm on the table, patting GIR on the head and earning a cheerful squeak. "I mean, I wasn't really expecting you. Especially after..." He hesitated and lowered his voice. "...My behavior."

"Forget it." Gaz looked down. She stared at her plate for a moment and then raised her head, expression brightening considerably. "Oh! You're not gonna believe it!"

"...What?"

The girl scooted her chair back and sat down her fork, getting on her knees to dive under the table. Dib opened his mouth to warn her that it probably wasn't the best idea, but she emerged unscathed a moment later, dragging up Tak by the Irken's chest and underarms the way a small child might hold up a cat. Tak just stared at Dib blankly, syrup running down her mouth and antennae flicking slightly.

Dib stared back at the unresponsive alien, not sure if he was suppose to observe or have a staring contest. "...Uh. Yea, that would be Tak."

"Well, say hello!" Gaz urged, huffing. "I can't hold her all day, she weighs the same as me!"

The boy was going to insist that he really, really didn't want anything to do with Tak, but thinking about Gaz's nearly-cheerful attitude won him over. He sighed, bending forward a bit. "...Hi, Tak."

"Hi."

Dib blinked, straightening up. If he hadn't seen the Irken's mouth move, he wouldn't have believed she'd spoken at all. But she had indeed. He could never forget that recognizable, accented voice. Even if it did sound rather monotone. Gaz was even more impressed than he was, grinning widely for the first time he'd seen in ages. She gave the alien a hug, receiving only a blink in response. "She's learning to talk again!"

"Hi."

Tak's tongue lolled out of her mouth, waffle sap leaking from her partially-opened jaw and onto Gaz's striped arm stockings. If the girl noticed, she didn't care, only beaming further. "Isn't that great?"

The girl let Tak drop. The Irken stayed at her feet, staring up with large, emotionless eyes, almost as if questioning why she was let go. "Hihihi."

Dib grimaced. "Is that all she can say? Because that's going to drive me crazy."

"...Well. Yea, for now." She placed a hand on Tak's head. The Irken let out a tiny disgruntled noise in the back of her throat, but didn't react much more. "But Zim says that it's a sign of progress."

"It is."

The magenta-eyed alien himself entered the room, wig and contacts on. He avoided Dib's form, eyes instead scanning over Tak and Gaz. He clawed at his chin. "She reacts well to you, Gaz-human. Feel very grateful." He passed the male human, approaching the other alien with interest. Dib glanced down under the table to watch Tak's reaction, slightly annoyed to find that Gaz had indeed covered her in one of Dib's old coats. She hissed a little, crouching against Gaz's legs. Zim's lower jaw stuck out slightly in his usual thoughtful manor. "Hmm. Perhaps Zim brings her discomfort. This is both good and bad. If she has familiarity, she's likely to trigger some sort of memory."

"So, is she injured, or just dumb?" Dib spoke up almost eagerly, hoping to cure Zim's calmly hidden irritation.

The Irken answered without looking back. "Neither. Or, well, both. If I had to pick one, it'd be injured." He placed his hands on his sides. "I was able to examine her when she was brought in. Her PAK is damaged. Claw marks." He frowned at the defensive Irken girl, who had managed to stop glaring at Zim long enough to nibble at Gaz's knee-high socks.

"Claw marks?" Gaz glanced down. So the marks on the PAK she'd seen before _were_ some sort of wounds. She moved her foot back a little when Tak attempted to gnaw on her socked foot.

"Mmhmm." Zim's false gray eyes narrowed. "At first, Zim couldn't figure out what they could be from. Maybe a fight, a crash, some sort of incident. But Tak's escape pod couldn't have stopped at any other planet, because it's not designed to actually fly. Just, you know, make quick escapes." He crossed his arms. "So, assuming Tak did float around for several years, and she didn't have anything to support herself at all, running purely on excess PAK energy..." He stopped abruptly, pursing his lips.

"...Yea?" Gaz scowled, staring at him expectantly. Even Dib was a bit curious at where this was heading.

Zim just gave a loud sigh. "Look, to put it simply, PAKs are very high-maintenance. They can't run for excessively long periods of time without being rested or recharged or whatever. As smeets, we use to be told stories about how invaders would be driven to insanity because they simply refused to take care of themselves, getting trapped on enemy planets without any source of Irken technology. Tak might have been able to drain power from the pod for a little while, but definitely not two, let alone five years. My guess is that she simply was too stubborn to hibernate herself, so to speak, and forced her PAK to it's extreme. In other words, she drove herself crazy. Or, well, _crazier_."

There was a long moment of silence. Then, quietly, Dib asked, "The scratches?"

Zim looked a little sheepish. "My guess is that, after a while, Tak simply couldn't take it and tried to claw off her PAK. Obviously unsuccessfully." He glanced back down at the Irken in question, who had taken into staring absently at the opposing wall. "Perhaps she was too weak, and her already-damaged PAK just decided to sleep. It's an oddity, but it happens."

"Then why couldn't you figure it out sooner?" Dib gave a pursed frown.

"Well, I've never actually seen it for myself," Zim replied harshly, bitterly watching the other alien. "Incidents have been reported, rare, but they have. When it happens, however, the Irken's PAK is immediately confiscated or just shut down, depending on where they are. Tak here is too far away from Irk for them to track her and her PAK status."

He stopped talking abruptly after the sentence, like he had planned on continuing but suddenly changed his mind. The male Irken scowled thoughtfully at the other alien, who had become annoyed with Gaz for moving her foot away and started to chatter, staring up at the girl with some intense purpose that she just couldn't get out in actual words. Gaz's mouth formed a wavy line and she patted Tak on the head, who merely went silent and stared back at her upon contact. "So... Those noises she made just now. It's like she's trying to talk."

"Maybe she is," Zim responded flatly. "Either way, she's trying to get your attention, and starting to think and feel again. Which is probably bad for us, and good for Tak."

Tak's antennae quivered slightly, and she turned her head in Zim's direction. "Hi."

Dib groaned, shaking his head. "Quit encouraging her." Gaz glared at him, silently sending the message that Tak was _suppose_ to be encouraged, before the other female began gnawing on her knee. Sticky leftover syrup was drying out on the alien's shirt, and worse, Dib's coat, which made the boy glower. "And why is she wearing _my_ clothes? That was the coat Dad gave me for my ninth birthday!"

"Oh, please. You never wear it anymore." Gaz lightly tried to shove Tak away with a socked foot, but the Irken just rolled over onto her back and clung onto the other's leg, making clicking sounds as she gnawed on the skin. It wasn't rough, but even her non-hostile claws and teeth were sharp enough that Dib saw his sister wince momentarily. She recovered just as quickly, however, and reached down to try and get Tak to let go. "How else was I suppose to get her here in the rain?"

Dib raised an eyebrow. From the table, GIR, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly screamed, "RAIN, RAIN, GO TO BAY, COME N SWING ANOTHER DAY..."

"GIR!" Zim had flinched when the robot suddenly raised his voice, and did nothing to cover it like Gaz had with Tak's rather playful attack. In fact, he looked much more tired than Dib felt, and ten times as cranky. The SIR unit stared at him with large orbs, single antenna drooping sadly, but Zim didn't show any signs of remorse. He immediately switched back to the topic, addressing Gaz once more. "...Which was an extremely stupid move. Next time, you will use Tak's hologram."

"Okay," Gaz responded simply. A moment of silence followed before she continued, "Well, uh, can I... have it, then?"

Zim blinked a few times. "...Oh. Err, right. Of course. Heh heh. Zim might be needing a recharge himself." He nodded dismissively, crossing his arms. "...Which is probably what he will go do now. He'll be late for school today. Don't wait up."

"...School? _Seriously_?" Dib felt like banging his head on the table. School was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He sighed and glanced up at Gaz, who was staring down at the Irken chewing on her leg with a sideways frown. "...Are you going?"

Gaz took a moment of silence before responding, feeling both the males in the room staring at her. Defensively, she snapped, "Why are you both staring at me like I'm a freak show? I might go, I might not, okay?"

"Geez, Gaz. I was just asking. Calm down."

"Perhaps it would be best not to hassle the Gaz-monster," Zim suggested. When gaining a rude glare from Dib, an antenna flicked and he continued, "S-She is welcome to stay with her Tak pet, but if she does decide to go, she'll have to lock Tak in one of the empty storage rooms downstairs. Either way, Zim is going to shut down for a few hours."

Gaz's expression was blank as she continued prodding at Tak's head, the Irken in question nipping at the human's fingers when they got too close to her mouth. GIR, seeming to have forgotten his master's bad attitude, giggled and started chomping down on the remaining soggy waffles. And Dib, feeling trapped in some sort of awkward bubble, gave the standing alien a sort of sideways look. "Bad sleep? Me too." He forced a light laugh. "Especially after last night, eh?"

Zim completely disregarded the boy's comment, turning on the spot and walking to the trashcan-disguised elevator with his hands behind his back. Dib mentally scolded himself and entwined his fingers, leaning back on his chair and closing his eyes.

Of course, Gaz was not going to let him have peace. "...What did you two do last _night_?"

"Watched TV," Dib hissed quietly, cracking one eye open to peek at his sister. Gaz had pursed lips, eyebrows raised. Feeling his face warm up, the boy retorted, "What did _you_ do last night?"

"...Slept?" Gaz huffed. "Then Tak woke me up and said 'hi' so I dragged her over here. I thought she was going to bite my hands off."

Glancing down to see Tak ripping at a piece of waffle GIR had dropped, Dib believed it. He groaned, sensing a future migraine as he stood up and pushed his chair in. "What time is it?"

"Uh... five thirty?"

Another groan.

"Wake me up in an hour." Dib trudged out of the room, letting out a deep yawn and falling back on the couch. In the back of his mind, something was unsettling him; maybe it was loathing toward Tak, or protective thoughts about his sibling. Gaz might have thought herself capable of anything, and she was as stubborn as Dib himself, but deep down the boy knew that it was just an act. What if Tak decided to strike again? And without either of the boys around? Dib shivered and curled in a ball, burying his face into the sofa.

The last thought he had before drifting to sleep was something about Zim.

* * *

_Yay! Tak's getting her smarts back, sorta! Will Gaz go to school to continue her smarts, too? Will Dib ever man up and stop bitching around? Will I ever figure out what I just said? Who knows!_

**Question of the Day:**

Weirdest appealing couple? _Maybe two characters that don't have much/any interaction with each other that you think would make an awesome couple? Or at least an interesting one? __Hey, feel free to leave your answer, I might look into it! Have a wonderful week, I'm sure I will!_**  
**


	15. Partners of DOOM

_While I'm not one-hundred-percent happy with this chapter, I enjoyed writing it. And I think the next one should go pretty smoothly, I'm already starting on it now. xD_

_I would love to give a big thanks to** i-say-potato**, who sent me a very long, positive message about SV. =) I know I never responded to it, but only because I was so shocked and could not think of kind enough words. In fact, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers, and all those lurkers who read it as well. You guys are why I keep writing ^~ Love ya all!_

_Oh yea. I'd like to note that if you have something totally against Zim/Gaz friendship, or are still convinced that this story is going to turn into ZaGr {it's not, I promise}, then you might want to skip this chapter. |D A lot of bonding between the two, but I assure you all. No romance between them whatsoever. They just make kickass friends. Speaking of romance, there's some Dibby in the next chapter, if it goes according to plan~!  
_

_Enjoy! Hopefully it won't be too screwy, since I wrote it at like two in the morning!  
_

* * *

"Zim?"

"Whahuh?"

The alien blinked, suddenly aware of his surroundings. The classroom's static silence was broken with a few desperate snickers, caused by peers who really just needed an excuse to split the tension. Zim had many times before caught himself trailing off in this class- world history, surely no place for an Irken- and this time was no different. He had dragged himself out of bed, refusing to become a vegetable despite his low energy level. After checking on Tak, who the computer assured was dozing off in a deep storage room, he'd hurried to school and arrived late. Now he had been woken from resting, jaw parted in a quiet snore and false eyes blinking open against bright artificial lights. Mind focusing back down on earth rather than theoretically up in the clouds, Zim cleared his throat, straightening up a little in his seat.

Back popping stiffly, he locked his gaze on the teacher, trying not to look as numb and exhausted as he felt. "Ah, er, what was that, sir?"

The teacher- Berman, or Berny, or Berry or some other nonsense that Zim didn't care enough about to remember- glared at him with little tolerance. "Before you so kindly decided to use my lesson as a nap time, I asked you about the third paragraph of chapter fifteen. But seeing as how your book isn't being used for anything but a drool napkin, you can tell me about it after school instead."

Zim groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. If he fell asleep again, the dumb teacher would give him a month's worth of detention, or worse, make him read in front of the class. But he was going to crash if he did not get some sort of break soon. The thought of his PAK shutting down in the middle of all the school humans sent a shiver down the alien's spine. Before the teacher could start droning again, Zim spoke up, "Sir, may, er, I be excused? I need to... go to the nurse."

The teacher eyed him, unconvinced. But because he wanted to get on with the lesson, or because he spotted the tired dark bags under Zim's eyes, he waved the Irken off in dismissal and started reading again. Zim closed his book and held it under an arm as he trudged out of the room.

Arriving at his locker, he glanced down the empty hall and yawned loudly, opening the storage space and pushing in his book. His vision was going blurry. Maybe, just a few seconds of rest couldn't hurt. He could go to the nurse, complain of stomach pains and be allowed to sleep. Even the thought of being around service humans wasn't sounding so bad right now. Or, maybe he could call his 'parents' and be sent home entirely. Unfortunately, Zim never was able to go through with these plans.

He slammed the locker shut, closed his eyes, and collapsed against the compartment.

X-x-x-x-x

"Nnnrrggg... GIR... don't... just a few.. more... mmnn- huh?"

Zim's eyes snapped open. Holding his breath, he struggled with the view in front of him. Tile, wall tile. He blinked a few times, feeling cold ground against his face. Making himself sit up despite his body aching, the alien rubbed his clammy forehead and slowly turned to look around. His sight was blurry, mind spinning. He had been curled up on the ground, pressed against the wall. Surely class was going to end soon, and he'd be discovered out here. More detention, just what he wanted.

Dizzily, the alien rolled over and pushed himself up, stumbling back against the wall with shaky legs. He felt drained, disorientated. His PAK had forced him into sleep, just like he'd feared. But at least he hadn't been shut off for too long. With a small sigh, the Irken leaned against the lockers, head tilted down as he tried to clear his head.

..._What happened to my shirt?_

Zim stared down, dazed and trying to comprehend what his mind was trying to throw at him. His shirt had been ripped, as far as his blurry vision was able to see. And- wait- was that _ink_ on his stomach? Feeling a bit ill, Zim's eyes narrowed as he mentally checked the time from his PAK clock.

History had ended almost two hours ago.

Zim cussed quietly and began tripping his way down the hall, claws scraping and banging against lockers for support as he tried to make it to the nearest restroom to hide. He had slept right through one, maybe even two passing times. He fell on the bathroom door, swinging it open, and hissed as he stumbled inside. Hearing the door slam behind him, he made it to the sink and gripped one claw on the counter while the other held him up on the mirror for support. Taking a few deep breaths and ignoring the musty stench, the alien gave his eyes time to adjust and focus again. When he could finally see straight, the sight greeting him in the mirror was not one that made him feel any better.

Obviously, some jerks had found his deep sleeping to be quite amusing. His shirt had been pulled up and ripped a bit, vulgar words and pictures drawn all over his stomach, sides and back. Gum had been spat on his wig and glitter glue had dried in said false hair and the left side of his face. Perfect, just perfect. And was that someone's signature in marker on his cheek?

The Irken spat curses under his breath, reaching up to take off his wig. He couldn't clean with water, he would scrub his paste layer right off. And the Voot was down, which meant he would have to walk all the way to the base like this. What a great day. As his claws clenched around locks of fake hair, he suddenly stopped, hidden antennae prickling at another sound.

Zim was aware that someone was with him when he heard the sound of vomiting. He spun around, jaw clenched. He had the urge to punch someone, anyone, if not just to have something to blame for how badly his day was going. An ill human in one of the stalls? Even better. Would give them another problem to focus on instead. He almost went along with the impulse, too, but stopped himself and waited out a few seconds to calm down.

Another gag followed. Zim grimaced, disgusted, and headed for the door. As he was walking, he noticed something that caught his eye and made him stop with a slight rush of anxiety. Whoever was busy being sick was on their knees, and Zim noticed the human in question's shoes under the stall door. Female boots.

Wonderful. On top of everything else, Zim had wandered into a girl bathroom.

The Irken could have left right there. Maybe slipped out and made it to the nurse. But something triggered. Those boots looked eerily familiar. Black, buckled boots protruding from striped stockings.

"...Gaz-monster?"

The response was a long, stretched silence.

Finally, Zim caught a tiny squeak. "Z-Zim?" The boots vanished, and then sound of a closing toilet lid brought Gaz in motion to the alien's attention. The stall door unlocked and opened just a crack. A wide amber eye glistened, peeking out. Then, in a more casual, forcefully level voice, the girl asked, "W-what are you doing here?"

"Spying, of course." Zim frowned, antennae stiffening under their disguise. The girl reeked of sick, at least to his sensitivity of smell. When gaining no acknowledgment toward what was suppose to be a joke, he gingerly assured, "Not really. Zim could care less about the daily activities of pig-smellies. Just a mistake in location. Do you... require assistance of some sort, Gaz-child?"

"...No," the girl murmured. She opened the stall door just a little more.

When she just continued to stare at him, the alien awkwardly glanced away. "Well, err. You're obviously ill." Lightly, he jested, "You're hardy. What, your injuries finally catching up to you?"

Out of all the responses he could have predicted- laughter, being punched, insults, whatever- what he did _not_ expect was for Gaz, terror at five-foot-four and supreme master at making the lives of everyone around her miserable, to burst out in tears and slam the stall closed.

_...What just happened?_

Zim stared at the door slightly dumbfounded, pretty sure he just said something really bad. He sighed, running a hand down his face. Females! Staying would mean a very awkward situation, while leaving would mean that not only Gaz would avoid him forever, but there would be even more issues with Tak. Gaz's sibling was already giving Zim trouble, and he did not need her to cause problems either. With little idea of how to deal with an emotional human, and only really half wanting to, the alien exhaled and asked, "Did Zim say something to offend you, Gaz-human?"

She didn't answer. Zim tossed around a few words in his mind before suggesting, "Why don't you talk to Zim? Err, he probably can't help you, and it's probably going to be really weird for everyone, but he really doesn't want to have his organs beaten out later."

He waited. After a couple moments, the stall creaked open an inch. "Y-you're a b-blunt guy, aren't y-you?"

"Pretty much."

The door was pulled open. Gaz, Zim found, was a mess, even compared to his current state. Her hair was messy and un-gelled, and it seemed to have been frantically pulled back into a ponytail; which, considering the fact that she had just been throwing up, might have been a good guess. Her scars were freshly picked, bloody and not even starting to crust over again. And she was indeed still crying, eyes red and puffy. However, rather than sad and devastated, she looked furious. Not at Zim, luckily for the alien, but just angry in general.

Zim, not one good at biting his tongue, gave her a cold sort of stare. Though, admittedly, a bit cautious and maybe even worried. "Hmph. You shouldn't be picking at your face, Gaz-thing. Don't you want to heal?" Gaz shrugged indifferently and stared down. Zim gave a tilted frown and sighed, rolling his eyes. "For the love of Irk. You're such a whiner."

The girl cracked a smile at that, sincere and challenging. "Calling me a hypocrite now?"

Zim held up his hands defensively, looking nervous. "Whoa, Zim did not call you any sort of hippo-beast!"

Gaz shook her head and passed Zim, getting some paper towel and turning on the sink. Zim moved beside her, leaning against the wall. "Well, since we're all comfortable.. or, well, as comfortable as Zim can get in a female restroom, he has to get some answers from you. Are you quite sure you don't need medical attention?"

The human ran the paper towel under the sink before squeezing it out and lightly dabbing at her face to clean off any excess blood. Zim watched patiently, surprised when she answered. "I'm sure," she muttered, wincing at the stinging wounds. "I mean, maybe some antibacterial for the scratches, because the last thing I need is for infected facial wounds, but other than that..." She crumpled the wipe and tossed it in the trash, getting another dry one for her face. Zim noticed her drying her eyes and momentarily held back questions regarding the angry tears.

"Well, do you need anything for your belly syndrome?" The Irken made a face, not really wanting Gaz to go into a sudden vomiting fit over him or something. That would have completed his current appearance.

Gaz just shook her head again. "No. I'm not sick. It's just..." She hesitated, throwing out the dry towel. "I... have stomach problems. From stress. I should be taking medicine, but I don't have it right now." She looked anxious, even embarrassed. Zim, not having any personal opinion on the subject, tilted his head as Gaz took a mint from her pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth.

A mint. To help get the bad taste from her mouth and cover the smell. Zim gave a short hum of understanding. "For a while, Zim thought you were just some weird human who ate mints for fun."

"I hate them." Gaz crinkled her nose and turned off the sink, glancing over at Zim. She looked him up and down. "Wow, did you fall asleep at a party or something?"

"High school hallway, actually. So very similar situation, yes." Zim sneered, studying himself in the mirror. Side by side, he and Gaz looked like they had both really just come from a wild party of some sort. Not very amused by the thought and growing again frustrated, the alien snapped, "Whoever dares defile the mighty Zim's amazing body shall be severely punished!" Then, noticing Gaz's smirk, Zim eyed her from the side. "What's so amusing?"

"Nothing. Dib came to mind when you said that."

"Pah. In his deliciously dark dreams." Zim turned away, slightly more awkward as he glanced at his reflection again. "...You don't think the Dib did this, do you?"

Gaz raised her eyebrows. "Nah, Dib's too much of a teacher's pet. Besides, none of that handwriting looks like his." She paused, contemplating, before slowly admitting, "But I know whose it does look like."

Zim gave her a bewildered stare before his false eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Gaz, looking like she was regretting mentioning it at all, shrugged and toyed with an arm stocking. Quietly, she muttered, "Probably the same losers who stole my pills for kicks."

The alien growled, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. Double the reason to be angry now. If the person, or people, in question were enough to stress out Gaz, they must be a serious threat. Especially if they were messing with Zim now. The cherry on top, Irkens were protective; Gaz was an alliance now, maybe even close to what humans would call a 'friend'.

No dumb bully could mess with a trained Irken and get away with it unscathed!

"Tell Zim," the disguised male pressed, tone low and demanding. "He wants to help you. And himself."

"This is really rash and really stupid. They're not a big threat..."

"They made you do the... sad... eye leaky thing!" He waved his arms, having trouble with English words while so distracted.

"That's just because, well, I was stressed and I can't deal with..." Gaz let out a long sigh. "Look, it was just Zita and her crew, they mess with everybody." She looked a bit sheepish. "It's not a big deal, you can just try and- hey! Where are you going?"

Zim had spun around and marched out of the restroom, kicking the door with his foot. Gaz followed behind him, pushing purple strands of hair away from her damp forehead. She grabbed his arm before he could get past a few lockers, making him stop and glare back at her.

"Let go of Zim. He can get your things back."

Gaz shook her head, grip tightening. "Zim, I've tried dealing with them a hundred times before. If you tell on them, they're going to make up a story and stick with it. They're good, way too good with way too good of a reputation."

"I don't plan on tattling," Zim snapped, pulling his arm free from Gaz. "Zim's going to teach them a little Irken lesson about revenge." He started walking down the hall again, calling back sarcastically, "You should bring some napkins. We'll need something to do about the mess."

"It's lunch, Zim!" Gaz hurried after the alien again, sliding in front of him to block his path. She matched his glare, making it very believable that she had not just been crying a few minutes ago. "What, you going to walk out to the middle of the cafeteria, looking crazy and wild like this, and blow her head off?"

"Well, actually, I was thinking more along the lines of just breaking a few bones, but yea, that's the general idea."

"One of Zita's friends, her dad is a _policeman_," Gaz insisted, bumping Zim back a little when he tried shoving her aside. "And Zita's mom works for the school district. If you get in a fight, then I'm going to end up helping you, and we'll both get in trouble!"

"You don't need to help Zim. Invaders need no-"

The Irken cut himself off.

After a quiet moment, Zim took a deep breath. "If you want to help me, be my guest. But Zim is definitely going to interrogate them and get back your things." He put his hands on his sides. "You were always fond of payback when it's due, weren't you?"

Gaz ran a hand through her hair, dipping her head down to mask her expression. When she glanced back up, her eyes glittered darkly, scarred mouth tilting upwards into a familiar smirk. "You know, you're right. Dib might've let himself be a punching bag growing up, but there's no way I'm going to fill in for him now." She straightened up, looking even tougher than usual; almost like she had when she'd been the horrible little fourth-grader Zim had dealt with upon coming to Earth.

Zim gave his own sort of smirk, holding out his hand. When Gaz took it gingerly, he shook and gestured out with his other. "Congratulations, human. You are now part of a top secret operation formed to stop this Zita menace once and for all."

Gaz's eyebrows knitted together as she let her hand drop. "...There's such a thing?"

"Well, Zim made it up now, actually. But that's a step closer."

"Fair enough."

"Now then, Gaz-monster, let us rain some doom upon our common enemy!" The alien tossed back his head and laughed, starting to walk again. Gaz took to his side, fists clenched and gaze venomous. It made Zim smile, though he wasn't sure why. Being back to bad felt so right, even if the situation was entirely different than any he'd been in before. After all, he wasn't sure how long he was going to stay on the mud-ball planet. He was not about to waste his days at the silly school, pretending to be on a mission he no longer was.

Zim wasn't an invader anymore. But he was still Zim.

And Zim was not going to be pushed around by _anyone_.

* * *

_Oh snap! Zita, honey, I hope you've got life insurance! What do you guys think, should there be some pummeling going down next chapter?  
_

_OMG! Guys, SV is more than half over and I just realized this! D: In fact, I'm starting to think about the next story. It's going to be really wild {and zadr, in a sense ;D}._

**Question of the Day:**

Invader Zim: Capable of Revival? _Ya, it's been ten years since Zim ended. But think about it. Nick's been dissing out more Zim __crap than ever, there are rumors about the Operation Doom DVD or whatever it is, and InvaderCON proved to us that the main cast would still love to work for Zim. Hmm. Just a thought, right? Well, leave your thoughts in a review or message if you so choose. Have a great April whatever-the-hell-day-it-is!_**  
**


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